


New Identity

by themarvelstarwarsfangirl66



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: (cause star wars exists remember), (don't forget barriss), (it was about the 501st and Ani), (its working), (luv u nat and wanda), (that she never remembers what it was about), And Steve dad, And lost his head for it, And stop blaming thorrrr, Ashley calls nat mom, Ashley had SERIOUS amnesia, Ashley had the force and uses it for the stupidest reasons, Ashley has no idea who Ahsoka is, Ashley is Ahsoka reincarnated, Ashley is a student, Ashley is furys pet, Ashley ships romanogers sO HARD, At least he got close enough to him to actually go for something, Bisexual Ahsoka Tano, Bucky Barnes & Natasha Romanov Friendship, But I still kinda like the guy, But what can you expect it's flash, Cause he thought he was doing the right thing, Flash is a dick, Glad you got your relationship sorted, HEREA AN IDEA, Half the universe is dead, He got all emotional about his gf or something smh, JARVIS is a good bro, JARVIS keeps tabs on Ashley cause she has a lot of nightmares, LETS ANNE BOLEYN THE FUCKER, Level 7 (SHIELD), Might add to this later, Model, Multi, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Natasha now adopts children off the street with no warning, Natasha swears like a fucking sailor, Original Character(s), Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter swears that Ashley is Ahsoka, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Natasha Romanov, Still salty at quill, Thanos should be his own warning, That's Not How The Force Works, The Avengers - Freeform, The Guardians of the Galaxy - Freeform, The infinity stones are cyber crystals (no you cannot change my mind), Thor And Loki Deserved Better, To make them get together, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wait I know, We bout to see Bucky 2.0, Which is hilarious cause wind hated ahsoka, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and, and blew the whole thing up, but anyway, but that I mean that homecoming and CA:TWS are now very close, cause there is NO WAY that girl is straight, everyone did, oops pardon my french, so give the girl a darn break, the timeline is a bit jumbled up, unlike the rest of the pathetic little useless fucking Avengers, who didn't even really put a scratch on him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:26:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themarvelstarwarsfangirl66/pseuds/themarvelstarwarsfangirl66
Summary: Who is Ashley Tanner?No one has a slight clue, not even the girl herself.Slightly tanned, weird reverse birthmarks on her face, icy white hair with blue streaks that appear to be...natural? Everything about the mystery figure screams oddity. And with her bold appearance, she vat help but attract the attention of the most important government-run defence agency; S.H.I.E.L.D.Nonetheless, she becomes a prime target for Director Fury, for the better for the worse, when she begins to realise she isn't like most humans who walk the earth.In fact, Ashley doesn't even know if she's human at all.(this story belongs of Sister_of_SHIELD on Wattpad)
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Bucky Barnes, Ahsoka Tano & Flash Thompson, Ahsoka Tano & Natasha Romanoff, Ahsoka Tano/Flash Thompson (one-sided), Ahsoka Tano/Peter Parker, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano (past), Clint Barton & Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Natasha Romanoff/Steve Rogers, Nick Fury & Ahsoka Tano, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Kudos: 2





	1. Welcome to New York!

The good thing was, she knew everything she needed to know.

On the contrary, she didn't remember anything she needed to know. 

Take, for example, the creatures that were walking down the stretch of the street she could see. Two legs, mostly vertical build- they were humans. But, despite the fact that she knew the name of the species, something seemed off. Was this normal? Was there supposed to be this many humans? Were humans the only intelligent type of life form? 

She looked down at her own self. She looked precisely like the humans that walked before her. That is, save for the fact that she was a little bit slimmer than most and slightly tanned. She reached up to her head, where she expectantly found the hair that accessorised the others as well. Although, there was something strange. Even though she sat for a while, studying all of the different colour combinations of the people, she couldn't find any that were similar to hers. Tanned skin and frosty white hair. Was that natural? Was that normal? 

She couldn't even answer that question. 

Thankfully, there was something that she knew indefinitely. Her name was Ashley Tanner. How did she know that? The girl had no clue. The name had bounced around in her mind without relenting like a ball in a pinball machine, and it just sounded right. It fit. 

That's not a half-bad name, Ashley chuckled inwardly, despite the fact that she didn't know any other names. It just had a ring to it that put a smile on the lost girl's face. 

A groan echoed across her lips as she pushed herself up from the ground. 

Had she fallen? 

No, it didn't seem like it. She could feel a minimal number stands of her snow-white hair that were in disarray, but other than that, she was fairly tidy. Her mostly casual, strapless top and shorts weren't too wrinkled, and definitely were not torn or ripped from distress. 

So, what had happened? 

No matter how much she tried to rack her brains of any memories in the slightest, nothing came to her. She didn't know where she was, where she came from, how she got here, or even who she was. That was, except for her name, of course. 

Had she been knocked in the head too hard? Ashley cautiously traced her head with her fingers, but she didn't feel pain anywhere. Okay... maybe she had some sort of sickness? Something that affected a part of her brain that held her memories? 

It was the only other logical explanation, but it was also an explanation that couldn't be proven correct or incorrect at the moment. Maybe she would be able to figure it out someday, but right now definitely wasn't the time. 

There was something that she did know for a fact though, which was quite a refresher from all of her confusion. The rumbling in her stomach? That was something that needed to be tamed quickly by a nice meal of hearty food. Once that was out of the way, she would finally be able to think with more focus. 

Ashley checked her appearance one last time, satisfied when she found herself completely decent, and took a step forward out of the alley. Much to her dismay, her legs didn't want to cooperate with her. Instead, they gave out and she comically fell, something equivalent to a scene out of a movie. She scowled and dusted herself off and stood up again. A pleased smile etched its way across her face as she stepped forward again, this time being successful. With a determined strength, the girl marched out of the alley and into the crowded street. 

She looked around to her left, but she didn't see anything that indicated food. Instead, she saw several incredibly bright lights that shone through the broad daylight. After adjusting her eyesight a little bit from the darkness of the alley, she made out what the sign said. 

New York. 

New York... for some reason, that sounded vaguely familiar. Despite the strange glances she was getting from just standing in the middle of the sidewalk like a deer in headlights, Ashley stayed frozen as she thought. What was New York? The name of the shop that was below it? A company of some sort? A type of food? 

Finally, it hit her. 

New York was the name of the area that she was in. State...? She thinks that's what it's called. It all made very little sense to her. She could remember things like this, but she had no absolute clue where the thoughts were coming from. She didn't recall an experience where she learned about these so-called states. It was almost as though the information had been placed into her mind without her realizing it. How? For about the tenth time that day, Ashley didn't have an idea in the slightest. It was as though this was all some puzzle that she was missing nearly half of the pieces to. 

There it was again! How in the world did she know what a puzzle was? Where had she encountered one? Where were her memories that she had lost possession of that hinted to her about the time that she had been taught about these games? There was a bleak, vast amount of empty space that filled her brain, clouding herself from being able to remember anything. And, in all honestly, it was absolutely aggravating. 

Ashley was brought back to reality as her consciousness reminded her of some questioning glances that were being thrown her way. She snapped out of her daze and nervously flashed a smile a couple of the onlookers, then scurried down the street. However, no matter how normal she tried to act, she couldn't escape the attention of everyone passing her. Finally, after several intense minutes of trying to pretend that her shoes were the most interesting thing in the world, she stopped a woman that had just brushed past her. 

"Um... excuse me," she chuckled awkwardly to the brunette, "do you know why everyone is... looking at me like I'm the weirdest thing they've ever seen?"

"Well, for starters," she replied back, a little hint of harshness that caught Ashley off guard, "you're wearing white paint on your face like it's some gang symbol." 

"Wait what?" Ashley exclaimed incredulously, "I don't remember putting paint on my face..." she stopped and licked her thumb, then harshly swiped it across her cheek. She brought the base of her finger back into view, but saw nothing white on it, "no, I don't believe that's paint." 

"Whatever it is, you look like a dangerous dork. I wouldn't recommend sporting it again," she growled, then decided to continue with, "and are you wearing blue contacts? Your eyes look incredibly fake." 

With a grimace, Ashley grazed her finger against the edge of her eye. She immediately whimpered in pain and recoiled back, slamming her eyelid shut. "No, not contacts." 

The brunette's gaze softened, but her look of confusion still didn't fade away. "Why didn't you just tell me so?" 

"You see," Ashley countered, "if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." 

"Oh for God's sake, just tell me. I'm not some paranoid idiot." 

"I... uh... don't remember anything about me. The only thing I know is all the events that have occurred within the last few minutes, which pretty much blandly include me somehow appearing in an alleyway." 

"Oh dear," the brunette gasped, "were you knocked in the head? Did someone hurt you? Or worse, you didn't get viola..." 

"I don't remember," Ashley quickly interrupted, not really wanting to discuss that awkward subject, "if I did, I probably wouldn't be staying here." 

"Well then," the woman mumbled, fumbling through her purse. She finally pulled out a slip of paper and black pen, then scribbled something down before turning back to Ashley, "I don't usually do this, and I have no clue why I am, but if you need anything..." she paused to present the note to Ashley, "I'm Bethany, give me a call. Girls have to stick together, right? But no funny business. I've got connections in the government and I'm not afraid to use them." 

"Yes ma'am," Ashley replied with a grateful smile, hesitating only for a half-second before confidently grabbing the paper and sliding it into one of her pockets, "thank you very much." 

"Don't mention it," Bethany replied, turning to head on her way. However, she stopped and turned halfway before adding, "and by the way, welcome to New York." 

"Thanks." Ashley respectfully nodded her head. She shared one last smile with Bethany, then they both started off on their way. 

Another, not so subtle, growl from the girl's stomach, reminding her of the important need for some food. She shook her head, then raised her vision to her surroundings. At first, she didn't see much; only some shopping stores or a café that looked much too extra. She finally caught sight of a quaint-looking vendor that seemed to be selling food. As she wandered towards it, a word bounced around in her head.  
Hot dogs. 

Hot dogs? Okay, she had to admit, that was a pretty odd name for something that you were consuming. If the little voice in her mind was right, dogs were a human pet. Cute, too. So, why in the world would you eat something that you also hold emotionally close? Hopefully it was just a metaphor or something of the sort. She really didn't feel like letting something like that be digested in her system. 

Ashley finally made it to the end of the line for the vendor. Surprisingly, despite it being so small, there was indeed quite a crowd of people that were eagerly, and slightly impatiently, waiting for their delicious hot dog. Maybe they were a specialty in New York? Either way, it was going to be a little while before she'd be able to stuff her mouth full of much-needed food. 

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. How was she going to pay for the food? Ashley leaned her head to the side, trying to see past the person that was right in front of her. A little while up the line, she could see several people fumbling with green coloured slips of paper. 

Money. Dollars... that's the currency. 

Once again, she didn't remember any previous encounters with dollars or any other sort of payment. However, that wasn't very surprising, considering the fact that she still couldn't recall anything about her life from before. Nothing about parents, friends, teachers, home, education, and anything in between. It was indeed extremely frustrating, but there was nothing the girl could do. 

Seeing that she didn't have a purse on her persona, Ashley rooted through the pockets of her shorts. She wasn't really expecting anything to be in there, so she did receive quite the shock when her fingers grazed against several objects. With a small smile spread across her face, she drew the things out of her pocket and held them out in front of her. 

"Let's see..." she mumbled as she got everything straight. Of course, there was the slip of paper that Bethany had given her, but there were also some other items that she had no recollection of putting them in her pockets there. One of which was some sort of foldable, leather object that, when opened, revealed dollars and several other things made of plastic. There was indeed one card that caught her attention the most. It had a picture of herself on one side, then some of her information on the other. 

Tanner, Ashley. 

10/01/2002 

5' 7" 

Female 

Of course, this was all fairly interesting to her. Something told her the year was 2016, so that meant that she was 14. That was a pretty good age, right? She still had time to be a kid and go to school.

School... 

Which school did she go to? Did she even go to school? 

Okay, now what kind of question was that? Surely she went to school. Maybe not now, considering the fact that she was as good as lost, but she was almost positive that she had gone at some point. That's what kids did, right? Go to school like little soldiers and return home around the time that their parents got off of their jobs? At least that's what the little voice was telling her. 

Shoot, since that was all the information she had to go off of, she might as well be believing the lies that it could easily be feeding her like the naive person she was. It wouldn't do that though, right? That little voice was her consciousness. It was herself. Lying to herself would be illogical. 

However, what interested her the most on the little plastic card was what she assumed was a picture of herself. Sure enough, she had strange white markings that looked as though they had been painted on her skin. She was tan all around, which she did admit to being slightly attractive, with brilliant blue eyes and icy white hair. Not a stand of it was darker than snow, except the blue streaks that were scattered throughout her hair. It sure as heck didn't look natural. Surely she had dyed her hair or something in the memory that she didn't have, right? Or maybe, just maybe, she was born with it? Perhaps she was different than everyone. As though she wasn't your everyday human. It might explain why she had the very authentic white markings decorating her face, or the blue eyes that almost glowed, or the pure-white-with-blue-streaks hair. 

Ashley turned her attention to the other objects in her palms. There was a fairly small, rectangular, black thing which she quickly recognized as a phone. This was once again, quite alarming, since she had no recollection of ever using one of these devices, but she knew exactly what they were for. Communication, entertainment, documentation... all of that fun stuff. 

She tapped on the screen and it lit up, displaying a picture of herself with some sort of galactic background. What was that? How had she taken a picture like that? She would've had to be in space to have that sort of scenery. Or, perhaps, she had photoshopped it in just for aesthetic? 

A small groan escaped from her lips as she bowed her head in defeat. Once again, she had hit a blockade in the path. She couldn't think about anything without coming to a grinding halt from her lack of memory. Why her? Why did she have to be going through this? 

All that was left to study was a stiff chain of some sort. She had no idea what it could possibly be for. Part of it was a curved line made of large, triangular-type links, then from the center of the line, another chain extended, to which it was split in two. Was this a hint to her past? Was this something that was a symbol of who she used to be? Whatever it was, it definitely looked much different than anything that people were wearing around their necks or wrists. It belonged elsewhere, perhaps on a satchel or something of the sort, but she couldn't put her finger on it. 

Ashley almost didn't notice she had reached the front of the line, but thankfully the loud chattering of the person before her that had just placed their order brought her back to focus. As she stepped up to the cashier, she gave an innocent smile and asked, "What do you recommend?" 

The cashier, who's name tag read Claire, gave Ashley a confused look, but shrugged it off and replied, "I would usually recommend our sauerkraut, but you don't really look like the person who would like that. So, how about our new addition: the chili and cheese dog?" 

"Sounds good," Ashley agreed, licking her lips. Just about anything sounded perfect. She was about to finish up her order until a little thought began nagging her again. So, quickly to not arouse suspicion, added, "Oh and... what are your hot dogs made of?" "Our specialty mix of pork and beef!" She cheerfully replied before adding, "Anything else?" Ashley glanced around the stand, then pointed at the fridge, "I'll take a water, please." "Alrighty...." Claire mumbled, tapping a few keys before looking back up at Ashley, "that will be four dollars and nine cents." 

The white-haired girl pulled out her wallet and counted five of the bills, then double-checked. Sure enough, they had little one symbols on the corners, indicating their worth. Ashley held them out to Claire, then instructed, "keep the extra." 

Claire exchanged her thanks, then Ashley made her way to the other side of the vendor to wait for her food. Within no time at all, she had food and water in hand. She wandered over to a nearby bench, where she sat and dug into her food. Sure enough, it was incredibly delicious. While she was chowing down, she allowed her mind to wander to what to do next. It was around six o'clock, so the sun would be setting fairly soon. Would she just sleep on the street? Maybe try to find a hotel? 

Ashley looked down at her wallet. She had a couple hundred bills and some credit cards, but how much did she have in savings accounts? However, an idea suddenly struck her. Why would a fifteen-year-old have credit cards and such as though she were a normal adult that lived independently? Did she even have parents? What if... 

What if she was an orphan? 

No, surely she had a family of some sort. Right? 

She didn't receive an answer from the little voice in her head this time. Maybe that was something too close to a memory to be answered, or maybe it didn't want to hurt Ashley's feelings by proving her assumptions correct. Either way, she was zero steps closer to figuring out what she was going to do next. Sure, she probably had enough money to stay at a hotel, but Ashlyn didn't really feel like draining all of her money that quickly. Surely the rooms were very expensive, considering how big of a town she was in. 

Ashley finished chomping down on her hot dog, then took a swig of water. It was a much-needed refreshment, and now she felt much, much better. It was indeed very true, your thinking was more clear once your stomach wasn't demanding something to quench your hunger. She relaxed more into the bench as she swung her right leg over her left knee so she was sitting with her legs crossed. 

"Still, none of this makes sense," Ashley mumbled as she stared at her identification card and silvery chain. What had she been in her life before? A well-off, successful student? An abandoned girl that wandered the streets? Perhaps an undercover agent of some sort that had their cover compromised? That might explain her lack of memory if the bad guy had injured her in some sort of way. Or maybe there had been a glitch in the universe's system, somehow creating a 15-year-old her. 

She looked away from the objects in her palm and up to the blinding lights of all the signs. 

Forever 21. The Big Apple. Abercrombie and Fitch. 

Why did they all sound recognisable? She could tell that the first and third signs were indicating clothing stores of some sort. Had she frequently made trips to those shops previously? Did she work for them at some point? Maybe as a clerk? Or perhaps, with her half-decent appearance, as a model? Or maybe they were just well-advertised stores that she had seen many, many times. 

Something else caught her attention though. It was a sign that read Stark Industries. 

Now that, that echoed in her head like a yell in a cave. Whatever 'Stark Industries' was, it was extremely important. It was something big. Something monumental. Suddenly, information spilled into her head without her consent, flooding her brain like a collapsed dam. 

Weapons. Machines. State-of-the-art-technology. 

However, that wasn't what was the most prominent in her thoughts. 

Tony Stark. 

That name washed over her thoughts again and again. An almost holographic image of him displayed into her head. He was a man with dark hair and a beard styled close to a goatee. His chest... glowed? What the heck? Did he have some obsession with glow sticks or something? That was definitely not normal, despite her lack of knowledge about style from New York. And, if that somehow was a fashion trend going on right now, she would definitely not be taking part in it. 

Arc Reactor. 

Numbers spilled into her head like a tidal wave. She immediately clamped her eyes shut and clutched her head between her hands. So much information was getting absorbed into her brain all at once that it hurt like hell. It was so unbearable that she even let out a small whimper as she doubled over in pain. After several minutes of all the numbers and words organizing into her head, the pain finally began to fade away. Now, all that she was left with was complete knowledge about arc reactors, which just so happened to be the glowing thing that was embedded into the billionaire's chest. 

Ashley sat, stumped. She didn't ask to be granted all of the information about the strange element and the suits that it powered. However, here she was, probably knowing about it more than the genius Stark himself. 

"Okay, that was a little weird," Ashley declared weakly as she stumbled up from the bench. She managed to hobble over to a nearby trashcan, where she dumped the trash from her food and her empty water bottle. She finally managed to regain balance, but that was a minor victory. At the moment, she was still trying to get control of her mind. 

Seeing that she was really getting nowhere with just standing around, Ashley decided to start off on a walk through the city. Perhaps she could bump into someone who recognized her or could help her? Everything was still a very big maybe at this point. 

She ventured down the streets, somewhat paying attention to her surroundings. At the moment, she was mainly staring at the beautiful sunset before her. A vibrant canvas of red, orange, yellow, and purples painted the sky, accented by the silhouettes of the towers and skyscrapers that occupied the lands of the city. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing she had experienced all day. 

However, with beauty comes conflict, and she was left with the slightly frantic thought of nightfall. She still wasn't sure where she was going to stay, or if she even had the clearance to rent out a room. Wouldn't she need some sort of guardian clearance because of her age? She was still slightly iffy on those rules. 

Ashley paused and took a moment to evaluate this 'New York' place. So was this home? Were the bustling streets and crowds of people the normal in her life previously? Was the excitement of all the hustle what she lived for? Or did she seriously wind up far from home in some sort of mission? 

She mentally kicked herself. It was very obvious that she would probably never figure out her past. So why try? Why look back on something that she'll never know? That was simply a waste of time. Instead, she needed to focus on what was ahead of her. Her future! She couldn't change her past, but she could change her future. And, as of right now, she knew that she needed to change her life from being a girl who walked the streets to someone who went to school or had a job, and lived in a home. How was she going to get there? She didn't know. She would just have to figure it out as she went along, but hey, she had her whole life to do it! 

Ashley began scoping out the streets for stores that had 'hiring' signs. Sure, she really had no proof of education, but if her mind kept up the stuff that it pulled with Mr. Stark's arc reactor, she would be in very good shape. However, despite how many blocks she walked, and how sore her legs and feet were getting, she didn't see anything. She was even getting a little rosy on the cheeks and shoulders from the U.V. rays that the sun had been casting down on her all day. Apparently nobody was in need of a few extra hands in their staff. Maybe the economy had recently taken a hit?

While Ashley didn't see any signs that indicated hire, she did indeed notice something very alarming. Behind her were a small band of people dressed in very... questionable clothing, all having hoodies draped over their head to the point where their faces were very unreadable. Ashley didn't like to be paranoid, but she had to admit, these people gave her very uneasy vibes. It was almost as though she had a sixth sense warning her about danger. Of course, that was very silly and a childish thought, but she couldn't ignore the warnings something was giving her. 

Ashley discreetly snuck another glance behind her, but once again, they were still there. And, if you may, a little bit closer. A cold sweat began to form at her temples as a shiver went down her spine. She did not have a good feeling about this at all. 

What do I do?? 

She frantically allowed her thoughts to jump from one idea to another. There were no police nearby, and she didn't really feel like taking on several people all on her own. That was way too risky of a move, considering she didn't have a clue about her fighting experience. 

"Umm..." she mumbled to herself in a panicked state. She turned down several different streets, but they followed her all the way, slowly gaining distance on her. She grunted in annoyance and hung her head, whispering in a slightly angered tone, "Why me?" 

Because you stand out. 

"I didn't ask to be different," Ashley whimpered to herself as she picked up her speed even more. The mysterious figures behind her did the exact same. "Come on, think, think, think." 

Suddenly an idea brightened her mood like a 60-watt lightbulb. She wasn't in this alone, at least, not quite. 

And fortunately, she had just the person to call.


	2. This Really Nice Women Named Bethany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I've got two things to tell y'all. 
> 
> One, just keep in mind that I'm not going to be doing updates this regularly. 
> 
> At least, I'm not planning on it. 
> 
> I just happened to have these two chapters written and I decided to post them for y'all to read.
> 
> And two, there is a little bit of a religious reference in the middle of the chapter. 
> 
> For those of you who aren't religious or follow a different religion besides Christianity, I promise this will most likely just be a one-time thing. 
> 
> It just seemed fitting to throw it in. 
> 
> Well, now that everything is settled, enjoy the chapter!

"Well, you sure do have a way of worming yourself into trouble," Bethany chuckled as she drove her Lexus down the New York streets. Ashley was in the backseat, still trembling from nerves and fright. "Seems to be so," Ashley agreed, looking through the back window. The hooded figures were plenty out of sight, but she still was way over the edge. She caught eye contact with the brunette in the mirror, who in turn gave her a reassuring smile. 

"So," Bethany began, taking a left turn onto some less crowded road, "where are you going next?" 

Ashley looked down and fiddled with her wallet in her palm, "I... I don't know. I don't remember anything. No home, no school no family..." 

There was a long silence between the two. Each second made it even more extremely uncomfortable for the icy-haired girl, but Bethany didn't seem to be fazed in the slightest. Instead, she was half-paying attention to the road as she seemed to be deeply thinking about something.  
"What if I take you up to a police station and get you DNA tested? Maybe you'll be able to trace your parents that way." 

"You would do that?" Ashley exclaimed, "I... I don't know what to say! Um... thank you!" 

"It's nothing," Bethany assured, reaching over to the screen in the center of her vehicle and pressing a few different buttons. Within seconds, the car was en route to a nearby police station. Ashley let a smile grace her lips, then decided to glance out of the car window. They were still in a big-city environment, but there were definitely fewer people. Was it because of the increasingly darkening skies? Or were they entering a small, more suburb-like town? Maybe both. 

"Where are we?" Ashley asked, genuinely intrigued. 

"Oh, still New York City. We're kind of on the outskirts a bit. It's a big city." 

"You can say that again," Ashley mumbled in agreement, taking in all the sights. All the towering buildings, colorful lights, and cascading plants made quite a picturesque setting. Of course, she had never experienced any other city, but she had a slightly biased opinion that this was one of the most beautiful places in the world. 

"Here we are," Bethany hummed as they pulled into the station. The two of them hopped out, then wandered inside. Once they got the attention of someone working at the front desk, the brunette walked up and gave them a trademark smile. "Hello there!" 

"What can I do for you today?" The desk clerk asked, glancing up from her computer. 

"This is um..." Bethany turned to Ashley and whispered, "what's your name?" 

Ashley pulled her identification card out of her wallet and handed it to Bethany. "This is Ashley Tanner. She has um... some memory loss issues, and was wondering if you could find her parents." 

"Ashley Tanner," the clerk echoed as she went to work, keys clacking away. Her eyes traveled between the computer screen and Ashley's face, growing more confused by the second. After several minutes of puzzled glances and furious scrolling, she eventually leaned back in her chair and directed her full attention the to brunette and white-haired girl. "My apologies, but I can't find anyone that matches your description. Perhaps some tests are in order?" 

"I'll do anything," Ashley replied, trying her best to keep the desperation out of her voice, "I just want to know something about my life." 

"Alrighty then!" the woman replied in a chipper tone, "right this way, then. We'll take a fingerprint and blood sample." 

"Thank you," the teenager said gratefully, following the clerk with Bethany to some rooms. Minutes later, the quick procedure had been conducted, and now all that they were waiting for was the results. 

"The tests results won't be ready until tomorrow," she informed them, "so for now, would you care to share contact information?" 

Ashley pulled her phone out of her back pocket and fumbled around with it. She squinted her eyes before robotically reading out a series of numbers. The clerk raised a brow at Ashley's incompetence at phone skills, but eventually shrugged it off as she jotted the numbers down. The three of them returned to the front, at which point Ashley paid for the tests. Bethany balked at this and insisted that she would pay for them, but Ashley eventually won. 

~ 

"So," Ashley mumbled. Both females were back in Bethany's car, letting the engine run while sitting silently, "what now?" 

Bethany stayed quiet for several more minutes, contemplating something that Ashley couldn't figure out. Was there some hotel that she would drop her off at, or would she just dump her on the streets? Either way, she couldn't be offended. In a world like that, something as small as a car ride was a huge gesture of kindness.

"Well, I'm going to ask you outright, and I want nothing but the truth. Are you a good kid?" 

Ashley paused, very shocked at the very forward question. She finally managed to muster together enough energy to squeak, "I can't vouch for my history, given that I have no memory, but as of right now, I'd say I'm a good kid. I don't have a reason to be a problem child." 

"Well then," Bethany declared, "I reckon you need a place to crash, and I just so happen to have an extra room in my apartment." 

"Oh no no," Ashley insisted with shake of her head, "I can't do that. You don't even know me." 

"Well, think of it this way," the brunette replied, throwing the car into gear and backing out of the parking spot, "You know me better than anyone else, and I know you better than anyone else. So, we're kind of close. Besides, if you really feel bad about it, I might be able to find a way for you to pay me back." "That does make it better, I suppose," Ashley admitted before a puzzled look washed over her head, "wait, how do I know you the best? We've barely met." 

"Let's just say I'm new to the area, as well." 

Ashley looked down from the road and to her lap. She stayed silent for a moment as she took the time to bring the topic into consideration. This was crazy, really. She had just met the lady earlier that day and had absolutely no clue about her personal life. But, then again, she really didn't have any other choice. 

Besides, so far, Bethany really did seem like a nice person. "If you don't mind, I believe I will take you up on your offer." 

"Splendid!" Bethany exclaimed, slightly too loudly to the point that made Ashley flinch. She commanded the car G.P.S. to take her in the direction of home, which quickly responded by informing the brunette that she would make a turn in a quarter-mile. After about 20 minutes or so, they had made it into a fairly small town compared to New York City. It still had high-rises and apartments, but nothing as dramatic as the stacked skyscrapers of the Big Apple. 

"Where are we now?" Ashley questioned as they pulled into a parking spot in front of some apartment complex. Bethany waited to reply until both of them had exited the Lexus, then turned back to the street and widely gestured to all of the buildings. 

"Welcome to Queens," Bethany answered with a broad smile, keeping her arms held out wide to emphasize the statement. 

Queens. 

That word echoed through Ashley's mind just as arc reactors had. Her eyes filled wide with panic and she quickly mumbled an, "oh no," but it was too late. Information began to flood into her head, just as it had done previously. This time, it didn't feel nearly as painful as before, but it was still enough for her fingers to run along her scalp as she shook her .

"Ashley?" Bethany asked, gently shaking her shoulder in concern, "are you alright?" 

The icy-haired girl finally managed to snap out of it and return her focus back to Bethany, "Yeah... I think I'm good. I just think this whole lack of memory things is messing with my head." 

"I suggest sleep, then," Bethany thoughtfully returned. And, right at that moment, Ashley decided something. That sounded just like a mom should. Was the brunette the parent to some bouncing little girls or boys? 

Maybe both? 

Maybe neither? 

Even though Ashley really didn't fully comprehend what a mother was like, it just seemed to fit right. The warm heart, easily concerned personality, responsibleness... or whatever that deciding sleep was necessary was called. 

"I suggest that I follow your suggestion," Ashley joked, turning to face Bethany. The woman had already started making her way into the fairly large building, holding her car keys over her shoulder and tapping the lock button. Now that? That was something so epic that Ashley had to do a double-take and make sure that someone wasn't filming. Seeing that her curiosity had caused her to fall several steps behind the fast-paced woman, she had to jog to catch up. It was already plenty dark outside by the time that they had gone inside, so a nice, warm bed did sound very appealing to the exhausted girl. 

The two made their way up the elevator of the complex and to Bethany's apartment. So far, from what she had seen, all of the other residences had been very substantially sized, so Ashley wasn't surprised that there was extra room in the woman's home. For such a large place in such a popular city, she was sure that the prices were probably sky-high. What did the woman have as a career to sustain something like this? Or perhaps she had a husband who worked a well-paying job that contributed. 

“It's no mansion," Bethany chuckled as she pulled her keys out of her purse, "but it's home." 

Ashley noticed some small digits on the key fob, then identified them as 364. She looked up at the corridor, seeing that they were just passing 359. They were getting close. 

Suddenly, as they passed 362, a strange shiver went down her back. Senses she didn't even know she had begun to fly out the roof, informing her of something. It wasn't like the fear that her mind was instilling into her when the hooded figures were trailing behind her; no, she was not being warned of danger. To be completely honest, she didn't really know what her senses were trying to tell her. All that she could decipher that it was something important. 

Then a thought crossed her mind. Were these almost sixth-senses episodes normal? She didn't think so. All of the information the little voice was feeding her told her otherwise. As far as she knew, she was experiencing something that regular humans shouldn't. 

And that? 

That was a freaky thought. 

That was something that was proving her theory right about her being different than everyone else. Between the seemingly natural, wild physical features, strange way of learning new information, somewhat lack of identity, and extra senses, she was beginning to get the idea that there was something off about herself. 

She didn't really like the thought of that, but it wasn't like she could change who she was. 

After standing still for several moments too long, she finally returned back to reality. She looked up to see that Bethany was already twisting her key in some lock up ahead, so she quickly rushed forward before the woman would question her strange behavior. Just as she reached the brunette, the door swung open, revealing a quite tidy, yet empty, residence. 

Ashley filed in behind Bethany, glancing around with her jaw dropped. 

"Not a mansion? You could've fooled me!" 

Bethany chuckled as she set her purse down on the counter, "It's only two bedrooms, silly. Though I will admit, it is very much so an upgrade from the last one. If you'd like my advice, never buy a stuffy, one-bedroom apartment in the dead center of New York City." 

"Advice noted." Ashley dropped down onto a loveseat, sighing in relaxation. Her body was finally letting on that she wasn't made of iron, so some good-quality resting time was in store. A smile graced her lips as she thought of the warm, soft bed that was awaiting her in the guest bedroom. However, before she could let her mind wander too far in that direction, she began to realize something.

"You don't have any family...?" 

Bethany stared blankly at Ashley before a look of realization washed over her face. "Oh, you mean that. Well, I do have my parents and cousins and aunts and things like that, but yeah, no husband. You might say that I'm a little... married to my work." 

"Why put it that way?" Ashley pointed out, rising from her sitting position, "why not think of it as you being passionate and committed, instead of it being a negative?" 

Bethany stood thoughtful by the counter for a few moments, then replied, "I guess you're right. That's a good way to put it," she stopped momentarily and moved from her position in the kitchen to one down the hallway. She stopped in between two different doors, then turned back to Ashley, who had followed her. "On the left is the guest bathroom. It should have everything you need. On the right is the bedroom. I hope you sleep well, Ashley." 

"Thank you," she replied humbly, excitement growing inside of her as she waited to see what the room looked like, "and, by the way..." 

Bethany looked back from where she had already begun to walk away. She stopped, perplexed at what Ashley was preparing herself to say. 

"You can call me Ash." 

Ashley didn't know why she thought up of that. Of course, she had no previous memory of herself, so she had not a single record about any nicknames from her past. Maybe she had enjoyed them, maybe she had despised them. However, seeing that her memories were still very unlikely to return, it was hard for Ashley to really give a frick about her past life's opinion. All that she knew was that the nickname she had thought up gave her that same feeling that she had gotten when she first remembered her name. It was melodic and held that little ring 

"Goodnight then, Ash." 

"Goodnight, Ms. Bethany." 

The teenager quickly got herself ready for bed by running a comb through her hair, brushing her teeth, and even running a cleansing wipe over her face, then made her way into the bedroom. It consisted of a full-sized bed, dresser, nightstand, and desk. All in all, it was quite a beautifully furnished room. 

Ashley wandered over to the dresser and pulled out one of the drawers. It revealed socks, underwear, and pajamas. 

Bingo, she thought with a smile as she drew out a set of sleepwear that looked to be her size. She stripped down from her regular clothes, slipped the comfortable, faux-silk set, and practically jumped into bed. She was so ready to snuggle underneath the covers and get good sleep. 

However, before she closed her eyes, she had an instinct to do something. She sat up in a criss-cross position, folded her hands, and bowed her head. Apparently doing so was a custom in America to show your loyalty to... God? She believed that was what the figure was called. Supposedly even the... oh, what was he called? That's it, Captain America, supposedly even the mighty man served the invisible person. 

"Dear God," she whispered, a little smile tugging at her lips, "I pray that you help me out with life. Maybe a little sign, I don't know. I'm just kinda lost if you know what I mean. Oh, and I met this really nice woman named Bethany. Would you mind giving her a little extra luck for being so kind to me? Or even just making sure that our paths cross more in the future. I really like her." 

Ashley paused and looked up to the ceiling before finishing with, "and thanks for everything. Being in this situation is definitely much better than starving on the streets. Hold on, I think I'm supposed to end my prayer with something. What's the word...? Oh yeah, that's right, amen." 

±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±- 

Ashley slowly blinked her eyes open, allowing them to adjust to the rays of the morning sun that were seeping in through the blinds. She looked around and panicked, followed by her flying up and flailing her arms to hold on to something. Where was she? What the heck was this place? Suddenly the setting that surrounded her begin to register from the previous night. She was in the guest room of Bethany's apartment, safe and sound. 

The teenager still didn't remember anything before yesterday, but she wasn't really expecting to. She had pretty much given up on having any clue about her past, so now she just focused on trying to make a new life for herself. That would start today, when she found out who her birth parents were. To be quite honest, she was already beginning to get little butterflies of excitement in her stomach. 

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Ashley let out a big yawn and rubbed her eyes. It felt very nice to be rested for a change, and not just confused and tired. After some substantial stretching, the icy-haired girl slid out of bed and plodded over towards the guest bathroom. She ran a brush through her hair, allowing herself some time to further inspect her blue streaks, then brushed her teeth. Once all of that was done, she was just about to step outside into the living room, but something in the mirror stopped herself. 

What were the white streaks on her face? They were still not in the least bit faded. Ashley doused her finger in the tap water for a minute, then rose it up to her face and gave a white-marked cheek some good scrubbing. Nothing changed. Ashley quirked an eyebrow, then decided to take it to the next step. 

She dotted her palms with some of the hand soap, doused it in water, then rose them up to her cheeks and rubbed them in circular motions against her face. After about 20 seconds, she dropped her hands away from her head and studied her cheeks in the mirror. The white marks still shone through confidently, not in the least bit altered. 

"You know what, I'm not even going to ask anymore," Ashley grunted as she washed the soap suds off of her face. Whatever the white was, it wasn't going anywhere, just like her blue streaks. Were they opposite birthmarks or something? Some weird form of tattoo? Permanent paint? No, it wasn't paint. The marks weren't a different texture than the rest of her skin. 

The teenager exited the bathroom and went back into her bedroom, going straight to the dresser. This time, she swung open the large doors to see if she could find normal clothing. With much gratitude, several different shirts, shorts, jeans, jackets, and shoes were revealed. They were all multiple different sizes to accommodate for whoever would be staying there, so Ashley just ended up choosing the smaller set of clothes. It happened to be a pair of skinny jeans, a patterned undershirt, and a leather jacket. 

Ashley wandered out of the bedroom and into the common area of the residence, where she found Bethany making breakfast in the kitchen. The brunette flashed her a quick smile, then turned back to the pans she was working with. 

"Good morning, Ms. Bethany," Ashley chirped, slipping into a barstool along the island of the kitchen. 

"Please, just Bethany is fine," she insisted, grabbing a nearby plate and slipping some food onto it. "Ever had pancakes before?" 

"I don't..." However, Ashley was cut off as the word rattled around in her head. She froze instantly and began panicking as she realized what was about to come on, shaking her head furiously and silently yelping. Although, despite her attempts, the large wave of information gushed through her mind, forcing itself into her knowledge without her consent. Her head ached relentlessly, the pain not fading away as she doubled over and clutched it between her hands. 

At the lack of Ashley's response, Bethany spun around to look at the girl. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the white-haired girl bent over, practically writhing in pain. Bethany quickly rushed over to her and played a hand on her forearm, shaking it gently. "Ashley? Ashley, are you alright? I need you to respond to me." 

Ashley continued to be non-respondent for several moments, but something finally changed and her eyes flew back open again. She was panting slightly now, but the most notable thing was the slightly crazed look on her face. "Yeah... yeah, I think I'm fine. It's... it's just... biscuits. Those are good, right? Kinda similar to pancakes, just a little bit taller and more flakey?" 

"That was not a result of thinking about biscuits," Bethany argued back, giving her an unimpressed look and resting her hands on her hips. 

"Okay, maybe not," Ashley quietly agreed, darting her glance around the room. "It's like a really bad trip. Like something is terribly off. Every time something that I don't know is brought up, the heaven gates of knowledge open and suddenly all of this information is practically dumped into my mind. It hurts really bad, too. It also happened to me with someone named... Tony Stark. Yeah, Stark, that's it. Everything about Mr. Stark, his arc reactor, and his little metal suits. I think I might even know more about it than he does. It's really strange and really painful." 

At the mention of Tony Stark, Bethany's face paled. Of course, this went unnoticed by Ashley, given that she was still facing the opposite direction. After several moments of silence, Bethany finally managed to cough out, "you can't know more than Tony Stark about his arc reactor. He's a pure genius. He created it himself." 

"Perhaps I don't," Ashley pointed out, swiveling her chair around to face Bethany, "I can't know for sure. I just have a feeling. A strange feeling." 

After this, Bethany wasn't even paying attention. Her mind was just swirling around the information that she had been given. Ashley might be telling her lies, but the brunette had a pretty good idea that she wasn't. If anyone was good at detecting lies, Bethany was. She was practically the master of all masters, thanks to some... training in her life previously. And, between her strange appearance and weird abilities, the thought of Ashley being different than everyone else was beginning to become more prevalent in her mind. She might've just stumbled across something that nobody knew yet, not even S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers. 

"I think it's time for me to ask if you're okay, Bethany. You look as pale as a ghost." "Yeah," Bethany mumbled, straightening herself out. In an effort to redirect Ashley's attention, she added in a bubbly tone, "so, would you like some pancakes? We'll probably be returning to the station pretty soon." 

"Sounds great! Thank you so much." 

"Don't mention it," Bethany replied, plopping some of the golden discs onto two different plates and drizzling them in syrup. She slid one plate over to Ashley, keeping the second for herself to eat. 

Just as the girl was finishing the last bite of her delicious and incredibly sweet breakfast, a small vibration shivered through her phone. She looked down to the counter where she had placed it previously, studying the lit-up screen as she chewed. Then, for closer inspection, she grabbed the device and read the notifications that had just gone through. 

"Results are back in, Ms. Tanner. Please come by the station as soon as possible," Ashley read aloud in a monotone voice. Then, once the meaning of the text registered, her eyes lit up. "This is it! I'll finally learn who I really am!" 

"That's great, kiddo," Bethany replied, sliding the dirty dishes into the sink and grabbing her purse off of the counter, "why don't we go ahead and head there? I've got to get to work in a bit." 

"Okay!" Ashley exclaimed excitedly. Just like a cat that had drunk enough coffee to kill two cows, she bounced around and shot off, momentarily slowing down to wait for Bethany to open the door. However, once even the slightest opening began to form as the brunette started to open the door, Ashley ducked out at full speed. 

"Kids," Bethany mumbled with a shake of her head, mostly in annoyance. She had never really been fond of them, save for one of her friends' children. Those were different though... and nobody could change her mind about her toleration towards only that one family. So, it was indeed quite a shock to even herself when she decided to help Ashley out. 

By the time Ashley had made it outside and at the door of the car, Bethany was just barely stepping out of the front doors. Ashley eagerly glanced between the brunette and the car, waiting for her to unlock the doors. "I'm so excited! I can't wait!" 

"Really? I could've never guessed," Bethany countered sarcastically under her breath. She dug her keys out of her purse and pressed the little unlock button, triggering a click in the car's doors. However, the woman couldn't help but crack a smile as the innocent and bubbly teen practically pounced into the backseat. 

The two drove off and to the police station without Ashley ever losing her overly-excited personality. Just the mere prospect of being able to be reunited with her parents elated the girl to no extent, and she felt so high on happiness that she thought she would never come back down. Sure, staying with Bethany that one night was pretty fun, but Ashley felt like a bother and nuisance. 

“So you're excited, huh?" Bethany joked as they climbed out of the car in front of the police station. All it took was one glance from her to confirm the brunette's question. Ashley practically ran into the front doors of the station with Bethany on her heels, trying to keep up with the fast-paced teenager. 

Ashley confidently strode up to the desk, and, without skipping a beat, cheerfully explained, "I'm here for the DNA results on Ashley Tanner." 

"Right," the desk clerk replied slowly, "um... about that. I think it would be best if you and Ms. Everglade followed me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.o
> 
> Uh oh... 
> 
> (by the way, was that chapter cash money enough? 👀💀)


	3. A True Mystery Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, today's chapter is a little bit short, but I really wanted to get one out. 
> 
> I was going to upload yesterday and throw in a tribute to one of the best Avengers ever, but then some stuff came up so I just had to settle with an announcement on my profile page : (. 
> 
> Anyways, as always, enjoy the chapter!

"So, about the results," the worker chuckled nervously, glancing at them from her seat across from them. They were currently all sitting in a private room where chairs had been prepared for them. (Two on one side of a table, one on the other for the worker.) Apparently, according to the woman, this news was something that Ashley and Bethany needed to sit down for. 

"Yes?" Ashley questioned, her eyes never letting go of their excited sparkle. 

"We uh..." she paused, trying to find the best way to word it, "what if I told you that there weren't any?" 

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked incredulously, trying to peer into the woman's face to see if she was joking. 

"We ran the tests," she explained, "and, to put it in the least confusing way, you don't exist. Not in paper or online files. There isn't even a trace of anything remotely close to your relatives either. Quite frankly, we've never seen blood like yours before." 

"Well I mean I am sitting here right in front of you," Ashley deadpanned, choosing to ignore the remark about her blood type, "is that not proof enough of my existence?" 

"Look," the worker sighed, "We tried everything we could. There is absolutely nothing about you in the system, let alone about your parents." 

Any emotion that she was feeling: excitement, confusion, anticipation- it all faded away. It was replaced with pure grief. Just the crestfallen look on the teenager's face was enough to make Bethany want to cry, and that was saying a lot. The woman never cried. However, her focus wasn't trained on the girl for long. She was quickly becoming absorbed by the pure thought of who Ashley was. 

After several long moments of consideration about every single detail she knew about the icy-haired girl, there was only one name that the brunette could come up with. 

Mystery Girl. 

"I don't think I understand," Ashley whispered, visibly shaking from trying to hold her tears in, "I have to have parents!" 

"I'm sorry Ms. Tanner," the woman replied, "but we've done everything we can. And, unfortunately, given that you don't have any parents and you are still a minor, some paperwork needs to be filled out for your placement in the foster system." 

Ashley stared at the woman both bewilderment and fear. Then, with tears stinging in the corner of her eyes, she stood up out of her chair and dashed out of the room. 

The worker went to rush after her, but she was stopped short by Bethany when the brunette stood in front of the doorway and gave her a hard glare. "Don't you dare," she growled, "you've already caused enough damage." 

If looks could kill, the woman would've already been pinned to the wall by the hundreds of daggers thrown by Bethany. Getting the message, the worker slowly backed up and sat back down in her seat, queuing Bethany to jog out of the door and towards the direction that the distraught teenager had run in. 

"Ashley? Ash~?" Bethany called out, searching every nook and cranny that she could find. Unfortunately, the girl was nowhere in sight. Bethany slowed to a walk and resorted to using her hearing, all the while whispering, "poor kid." 

The brunette finally picked up on muffled sobbing coming from her right. She turned to see a slightly cracked door, which Bethany pushed open and wandered through. 

"Ash?" Bethany cautiously asked, darting her eyes around in the dark to see if she could make out the familiar figure. "Where are you, sweet girl?" 

The brunette's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. What in the world had come over her? Bethany was definitely not one to make pet names for people unless they were used to annoy others. What was Ashely doing to her?! It seemed as though the chipper and childish mood she had been in all morning had eventually begun to wear on her resolve against children. 

The brunette's gaze finally fell on a dark silhouette that was slumped against a wall. She carefully walked over, trying her best not to be too loud or quick with her steps to upset the girl. Without saying a word, she sat down beside Ashley and swung an arm around the girl's shoulder. "I know this is all hard, Ash. Why don't you go ahead and talk? It'll make you feel better to get it off your chest." 

Ashley turned her head to look at Bethany but stayed silent. The teenager rose a hand to her cheek to wipe off some tears that had begun to trickle down her face, but her lips didn't twitch in the slightest. 

Bethany sighed and scooted in closer to Ashley, keeping her arm in its place around the girl's shoulder. "Listen kid, we're friends. But I can't help you unless you start talking." 

The icy-haired girl parted her lips slightly, trying to contemplate whether or not to open up to the woman. Sure, she had only known her for a day or so, but there was just something about the woman that made Ashley feel a lot more at ease around her. It was almost as though those odd extra senses that she had were trying to tell her something, but in a good way this time. The feeling it gave her was so warm and almost soft, lifting her spirits a little bit and enabling her vocal cords to work. 

"I..." she began, her voice consistently wavering from her lack of strength, "I just thought that I might finally be able to piece together what's left of my life. But I even got that ripped away from me too. Does the world really hate me that much?" 

"Oh Ash," Bethany fondly whispered, "nobody hates you. You just have a little case of bad luck right now. It happens to me all the time. Gosh, you should've seen me when I was your age." 

"I don't see how this is just bad luck," Ashley argued quietly, "on top of not knowing anything about my life, I'm about to get thrown into the foster system and be forced to live with some random people that will give me even more to figure out. I just... I think I'd rather live alone than go through something like that. It's as though they're trying to rub the fact that I don't have parents in my face even more." 

This caused Bethany to frown even more. She had kind of realized that the whole thought of foster care was rough on Ashley, given that she had run out of the room and such, but now that the girl was explaining it... 

It was really hard not to feel tremendous pity for her. 

Especially since Bethany had her fair share of bad childhood experiences. It was true- she had been almost as lost as Bethany was at this age, perhaps even more. So, now that she knew exactly what it was like to be in the confused teenager's shoes, she truly began to almost connect with the girl. Sure, the feelings probably weren't mutual, but it still wouldn't stop the brunette from opening up a small piece of her usually cold heart to Ashley. 

"I get it," Bethany softly replied, "I get what you're going through. Things are tough right now, but they'll get better soon." 

Ashley sniffled and countered, "But how can you be so sure? It seems like once I hit rock bottom I just encounter another basement." 

Because this time you'll have me on your side, Bethany answered in her head, but the woman wasn't so sure if now was the right time to tell Ashley that. Instead, she said, "You'll see, trust me." 

"Right now," Ashley scoffed sarcastically, "you're about the only thing I can trust, and I just met you." 

"Life can be crazy," Bethany agreed with a small laugh, "and somehow, it's all for a reason." After finishing that line, the brunette pushed herself up to her feet and held a hand out to Ashley. 

The teenager looked at it, up to Bethany's greenish-blue eyes, then cracked a slight smile and took the woman's extended palm. The brunette hoisted the girl up with ease, then gently remained to hold the teenager's hand as she led the both of them out of the dimly lit room. By the time that they had both made it back to the original room they had been in, in which the worker was still waiting in, Ashley had managed to dry her tears and get rid of the majority of red in her eyes. 

Bethany shot the worker a glare that said, Don't you dare speak a single word, then turned back to Ashley while pulling something out of her pocket. When her hand finally exited the fabric, she had a wallet in her hand. She pulled out a few different bills, then placed them in Ashley's hand which she had recently been holding. "Go get yourself an ice cream and cheer up a bit. I think there's a little shop right across the street. Me and this lady have a little bit to discuss." 

Ashley glanced questioningly between the worker and Bethany, trying to figure out what the brunette meant by discussing. When she realized that she was about to get any answers, and that a little cheering up was exactly what she needed right now, she gave Bethany a nod. Then, without a moment's more hesitation, she excitedly wandered out of the building. 

"What are you planning on discussing with me, exactly?" The worker asked, just as puzzled as the teenager had been. 

"Well, for starters," Bethany declared, taking a seat as she realized this was probably going to be a long conversation, "if there is one thing she doesn't need, it's to be thrown into the foster care system." 

"I don't believe I'm understanding you correctly," the woman jeered, "so you're saying that she doesn't need parents?" 

"Not that kind," Bethany agreed with a smirk, satisfied when the worker's expression just grew even more confused, "you see, when you're sitting up here in this office with a happy little life, you don't get to really understand what the actual kids are going through. The poor teenager just found out that the one chance she had at having her old life back was just ripped away from her. Why rub salt on the wound that's still painfully fresh?" 

"I think you're making me out to be the bad guy in this situation," the lady practically hissed in a disdainfully forced cheerful tone. 

"I'm not making out anything that isn't already there," Bethany chimed before continuing, "all I'm saying is that she needs a friend... not parents."   
"And you're suggesting I find those how?" 

"You don't need to find anything," Bethany returned, confidence that she had been lacking in her inner monologue beginning to drip like honey from her words, "I'm right here." 

"You're going to adopt a kid that you just met?" The worker deadpanned. 

"No, I'm going to take her under my wing. I've been thinking about taking on a girl, but I didn't really give it much consideration until now," Bethany argued, but ended up conceding with, "but also, yeah." 

The worker gave her a confused look but ended up shrugging it off with a drawn-out sigh. "Fine. We'll need to work out the logistics and paperwork. That is, saying that you even meet the qualifications to adopt?" 

"Please," the brunette scoffed, "she'll be getting an entire bedroom, bathroom, and other amenities all to herself in one of the nicest places in town. Do I look like a street rat?" 

"I suppose not," the woman sighed before pulling a large, manilla-colored file folder, "we'll have social security run by your residence tomorrow to assure that it's fitting. Now if you could please read the agreement and fill out the information, we'll be set." 

Bethany did a quick one-over on the paperwork, an unimpressed look never leaving her face. She raised the pen and signed at where her signature was needed, then slid the paperwork back over to the worker. 

"You do realize that all of the rest of the information is mandatory, right?" 

Bethany scoffed and tossed her a business-card sort of slip of paper, then stood up and began walking out. "I don't have time for frivolous things like that. Better places to be, you know. If we must, it'll get done when your workers swing by my apartment." 

The lady opened her mouth to protest, but eventually gave up and just slumped back in her chair. Just as Bethany was about to exit the room, she sassily turned around, placed a hand on her hip, and curtly said, "Good day." 

~ 

"Hey Ash," Bethany called out as she drove her Lexus by the ice cream parlor that Ashley had just exited, "hop in." 

"Where are we going? I thought I had to fill out those stupid papers?" Ashley asked, slightly turning up her nose at the mention of the adoption information. 

"Nah, I handled all of that. Let's just say you aren't going anywhere," Bethany replied with a grin and wink. 

"No way," Ashley gaped, sliding to a halt and nearly letting go of one of the cones that she was holding. "You didn't...?" 

Suddenly Bethany began to panic. What if Ashley didn't actually like her? Had she really just made one of the most important decisions of Ashley's life without even consulting her first? What if the teenager would start to hate her? What had she done?! She had been so sure that the idea was great when she first thought about it... but now she wasn't so sure. "Yeah... I... I'm sorry Ash... I... should've asked first." 

"Are you kidding?" Ashley squealed, "this is amazing! I never even imagined that this was even possible! Thank you!" The teenager ran up and attempted to wrap the woman in a hug through the car window, but was stopped short when she began to realize that the ice cream cones were prohibiting her from doing so. 

"So," Bethany chuckled, still not quite over the miniature panic attack that had just occurred, "what kinda ice cream did you get?" 

"Well," the icy-haired girl began, looking to the cones that were in her hands, "I wasn't sure what kind of ice cream you liked, so I just got two of the one that I thought was pretty interesting. It's named after Black Widow, some heroine that looks really bad-butt." Then, with a grin, she held out the cone that's size hadn't begun to reduce yet to Bethany. 

The brunette sat shocked for a minute. She didn't know whether to love the fact that Ashley had thought of her without even asking for anything or the fact that her replacement for a cuss-word was slightly cute. Of course, she could never tell the teenager that, given that she'd probably get embarrassed if Bethany called something that she did cute. And, if she hadn't already decided, that was the moment that Bethany knew she would not regret taking Ashley on as her little apprentice. 

When no words came out about either of the thoughts that were circling in Bethany's mind, she ended up replying with, "She is, isn't she?" As she reached out of the vehicle to accept the ice cream cone. Once it was out of her grasp, Ashley used her now-free hand to open up one of the back doors. 

"Uh-uh," Bethany playfully scolded, "you're too old for that. You get shotgun." 

Ashley shot Bethany a grin and quickly made her way around to the passengers' side and hopped in. After assuring that her seatbelt was on and her ice cream wasn't about to make a mess everywhere, she turned to Bethany. "So, where to?" 

"If you're going to be living with me," Bethany began, giving Ashley a smirk before continuing, "you've got to look fabulous while doing it."


	4. Shopping n’ Spanish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was I expecting to get another update out this early? 
> 
> No, not really. 
> 
> Am I doing it anyway because this book is literally so much fun to write? 
> 
> Dang right I am.

"H&M, right?" A certain icy-haired girl guessed as they pulled up to a store with familiar-looking decor. 

"Bingo," Bethany sang as she shut the door of the Lexus behind her. Once Ashley was following at her side like a little puppy, the brunette swung her hand up over her shoulder and locked the car without even looking back. 

"So these are the clothes that are... trendy?" Ashley asked as they walked in through the swinging glass doors. She snaked her head to the right to see racks upon racks of short-looking shirts, skinny jeans, sweaters, and much more. She swiveled her head around to the left, but this time she was met by more masculine polos and slacks. 

"Some of them," Bethany nodded, "but you need to have a good eye and taste for the ones that really pop. That is why, my dear, that you have me," the woman proudly boasted, directing the two of them towards one of the circular racks on the right. 

"Ah. Lucky me, then," Ashley joked, thumbing through the shirts. She stumbled across a dark yellow crop top and displayed it to the woman, "how about this?" 

"Put that back down or so help me God," Bethany gagged, "that is way out of style. I mean honestly, I don't ever think it was really in." 

"Alrighty then," the icy-haired girl replied, hanging the shirt back on the rack and raising her hands, "be my guest, then." 

Bethany confidently nodded, then set to work. After several minutes of searching through racks with Ashley constantly by her side, she surfaced some black garment. 

"Simple, but elegant. It's a black romper with a v-neck: stylish, breathable, and most importantly, easy to put on." 

Ashley shot her a slightly confused and amused look at the brunette for the last point she made. Bethany chuckled with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, "Darling, if you aren't comfortable in it, don't but it. Pain may be beauty, but comfort is grace." 

"Advice noted," the icy-haired girl said, turning her attention back to the displays of clothes. Her fingers stumbled across the familiar, rough texture of denim. After a moment's evaluation, she picked up one of the folded articles and held it out. 

"What about this?" Ashley proposed, studying the denim skirt that she was presenting. 

"Not too short," Bethany positively hummed, "no excessive rips, nice coloring... I'd say you picked yourself a winner!" 

"Wait seriously?" Ashley gasped, "I thought it was going to be 'so 2014' or something." 

"Nope," Bethany giggled, then pointed to some multi-colored shorts displayed on one of the mannequins, "but those are." 

"I wasn't even here that year and I already agree," Ashley laughed, raising a hand to her eye as to shield her from the horrendous sight. 

The two made their way around the store, occasionally deciding together on blouses, jeans, and skirts that would be a good fit for the teenager. After about 30 minutes, the woman stopped and turned back to Ashley. 

"I believe our work here is done," Bethany sighed as she took one last look around at all the different sections, then began her walk towards the counter. 

"Wait, done shopping?" Ashley asked as she jogged to keep up with the brunette's fast-paced walking. 

"Of course not sweetheart," Bethany snickered, "we have just begun."

~ 

"This is Nike," Bethany explained as the two once more walked into another store. The teen wasn't exactly sure, but she believed that this had marked the fourth store they had ransacked. The car had already begun to fill up with clothes and accessories that the brunette had deemed fit, which utterly shocked Ashley. Not a single thing that the woman had chosen was on the cheaper end, but she seemed to not even be fazed by paying all the money for everything (that is, after Ashley tried to argue into paying for her own clothes but lost every time). "Athletic wear, gear, etcetera. If you're going to be living with me, then I might as well teach you a little bit of aerobics and such. You're going to need workout clothes, though." 

"What kind of aerobics?" Ashley asked, genuinely intrigued as they made their way towards a section of the store that sold women's clothes. 

"Oh, I don't know," Bethany droned as she began to root through the clothes, "gymnastics, martial arts..." 

"You know some martial arts?" Ashley gaped, stopping dead in her tracks and staring at the woman who had just said it in a manner that implied that she thought it was normal. 

"Not just some," Bethany corrected, "I know many different forms. A little bit of a hobby I picked up, y'know?" 

"Not gonna lie, that's a pretty neat hobby," Ashley commented, though she had a feeling that Bethany hadn't heard her due to her being so absorbed in looking for clothes. 

"What is this?" Bethany scoffed, gesturing to several racks of cotton tee shirts. "Like h*ll I could work out in stuff like that." 

"I see what you mean," Ashley mumbled as she held up one of the coarse, heavy shirts. "I bet it's like working in a sauna." 

"This," Bethany suddenly interjected, "this works." 

The brunette held up a skin-tight, cropped tank from one of the racks. It was black and made of a spandex-type material, and the black was partially mesh and breathable. "It wicks sweat and moves with you. Don't forget that it won't flare up and show your bra when you're doing things upside down." 

"Definitely a plus," Ashley chuckled as she took the top from Bethany and took a closer inspection of it. She turned to look around their surroundings, smiling when her eyes stumbled across something. "Look at this! Matching leggings." 

"Perfect," Bethany agreed, before beckoning her towards another rack. 

And so that went on for about another 20 minutes or so, until they managed to work their way over towards the shoes. By now, they already had armfuls of clothes that were beginning to grow heavy. Just the sight of more things to carry frightened Ashley. 

"Why don't you go ahead and pick out two different tennis shoes? Y'know, one casual, one for our workouts," Bethany instructed, sitting down on a nearby bench and whipping out her phone. She was being extremely secretive with whatever she was typing and not letting her phone screen get angled towards any nearby people, but the teenager didn't really mind. It was probably something important. 

Ashley let out an exasperated sigh as she glanced around at all of the rows of shoes. How was she supposed to choose? They all looked nearly the exact same. They were just... shoes? How was she even supposed to be able to tell the difference between casual and athletic shoes? 

"Umm," Ashley nervously chuckled, picking up a pair of white shoes that had a Nike logo on the side. "That'll work, right? Yep, totally. Now just for the athletic shoes." 

The icy-haired girl wandered through isles upon isles of different shoes. 

Basketball, tennis, volleyball, soccer, running... 

Just as Ashley was moving from the running row to what she believed were track shoes, a certain pair on the end display caught her eye. They were mainly black with white soles and seemed to be just the perfect mix between looks and performance. She picked them up and studied them closer, ultimately being impressed as she found that they had quite a bit of ankle support and cushion. 

I think my mission is complete, Ashley thought to herself triumphantly as she glanced between both sets of shoes. With one last grin, she made her way to Bethany who seemed to just be finishing up with her business on her phone. 

"What about these?" Ashely asked as she showed the shoes to the brunette. 

"I'd say you're a natural when it comes to footwear," Bethany complimented as she took the pairs from Ashley ad analyzed them. "Air Force and In-Seasons? You've clearly been in the business before." 

"Not that I can remember," Ashley dryly joked, though she wasn't very sure that it was a good idea that she did. The whole 'no past' thing was still really fresh in her mind and she kind of just reopened the wound. Oops.

~

"Last stop," Bethany declared as she put her car into park. 

"Forever 21?" Ashley questioned as she began making her way out of the car; a routine that had become all-too-familiar in the last several hours. The sun was beginning to set on the city, and nightfall would be upon them in no time. Shopping was definitely fun, but also extremely tiring. 

"You betcha," the woman hummed as she locked the car, then walked up to the store's front doors and opened one for Ashley. 

"Thanks, Beth," Ashley mumbled without much thought as she made her way in and took in the sights of the store. 

"No problem, Ash," she chuckled, causing Ashley to spin around with wide eyes. 

"Did I just-? Oh God I'm so sorry Bethany," Ashley stammered, but Bethany only put a hand up to stop her. 

"Chill, kid. I actually kinda like it." 

"Good," Ashley sighed in relief. She really didn't want to go and start messing up the relationship she was beginning to build with the brunette. 

"Oh look!" Bethany half-squealed, pointing at some corner of the store, "that blouse is perfect!" 

"Help me God," Ashley whispered as she allowed herself to be drug behind the woman, "I have a feeling she's going to go even crazier here than before." 

“... don't you agree?" Bethany asked as she held up an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, white blouse, bringing Ashley back to reality. 

"I do," Ashley replied, having to improvise her response on the spot since she hadn't exactly been the definition of attentive the last minute or so. "Chiffon, right? That looks very light and airy." "Yep!" Bethany responded, shoving the shirt into the teen's arms before turning back to the clothes, "Now what would go with that... probably a jean skirt. Like... this one!" Now there was a light blue skirt in her hands. 

"But I got one from H&M?" Ashley asked in confusion. 

"So?" Bethany responded nonchalantly, handing the skirt over to Ashley and continuing her search. When the woman came across a two-piece set, a couple of t-shirts, and a bodysuit to wear with pants, Ashley was beginning to wonder if she was slightly more infatuated with shopping at Forever 21 more than all of the other stores they had hit. 

"What's with you and this place?" The girl questioned jokingly as she struggled to juggle all of the clothes that were piling up in her arms. "You see, I'm..." she began but was cut off by an employee that was walking past. 

"Hello, Ms. Everglade! Is there anything we can do for you today?" 

"I'm fine, thank you," Bethany replied sweetly, yet there was an undertone of dismissiveness in her voice so that way she could return to her conversation. 

"As I was saying, I'm the head of advertising for the Forever 21 chain. I'm the person that makes the decisions for how we're going to market the company, occasionally hire models..." she paused at this and looked to Ashley, who was busying herself by studying a mannequin. 

"Modeling, huh?" She asked, trying to hide her interest. 

"You know, I could easily land you a job if you want. Wouldn't look half-bad on me either, given how pretty and unique you are. It would give the viewers something to remember." 

"I don't know about pretty..." Ashley mumbled, "my white and blue hair is rather odd." 

"It's different," Bethany agreed, "but it is beautiful." 

"Thanks," Ashley shyly replied, looking down to hide her blush. 

"Anyways," Bethany said, clearing her throat on purpose, "Are we just going to keep staring at this mannequin? I mean, it is a pretty interesting mannequin." 

"I think I actually like that outfit," the teenager argued defensively. It was an almost-pastel yellow, mock neck ribbed tee shirt, tucked into a pair of high-waisted light denim shorts. 

"Casual, yet fashionable. I agree. Let's get it," Bethany smiled, grabbing the equivalent of the clothes on display from the nearby racks. "Now there's just one more section we need to hit up. Dresses." 

"We're talking simple, short-length right?" Ashley asked nervously. 

"Duh," Bethany deadpanned as they reached the section, "we're not looking for prom dresses, silly. Though homecoming will be arriving before we know it..." 

"Good," Ashley whispered in relief underneath her breath. She began paging through the dresses, most of which forced her to turn her nose up in disgust at how skimpy they could be. She was actually about to lose hope until she found something that actually looked half decent. 

"We've established that white and off-the-shoulder are good, right?" Ashley asked as she removed the dress from the rack, "So what about this?" 

"I like it," Bethany agreed. "I believe I've taught you right. Now let's buy this stuff and burn out. I'm getting a little hungry, and I'm sure you are too. Fortunately, I know just the place to hit up."

~ 

"Welcome to Delmar's Deli and Grocery," a man that was working behind the counter monotonously called as the two females walked in. 

"Hey Delmar," Bethany exclaimed, walking straight up to the register, "I was just telling Ashley about how great your sandwiches are. Care to hook us up with a couple of 'em?" 

"Ashley?" He asked in confusion as he turned from what he was working on to them. When his eyes fell on the teenager, he chuckled and asked, "so who is this?" 

"I'm Ashley Tanner," Ashley introduced herself, holding her hand out to Delmar, "14 and uh... Bethany's..." 

"My side chick," Bethany boldly exclaimed, laughing when Delmar's eyes widened with shock, "Nah, she's my..." 

Bethany looked down at Ashley, wondering what to call herself. She wasn't her foster-mom: Ashley had made it clear that she didn't want parents to replace her seemingly non-existent biological ones. So what was she then? 

"I'm her guardian angel," she finally said jokingly, turning to Ashley and giving her a wink. The teenager smiled back, then looked up to the menu. 

"I'll take a number five... with pickles and, could you squish it down real' flat?" Ashley asked. Delmar did a double-take at her request, trying to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him and making a certain boy out to be a girl. 

"I'll have a number three, no onions," Bethany said, pulling out her wallet. 

"Thanks, Mr. Delmar," Ashley smiled as he began to make the sandwiches. 

"Not a problem," he replied with a smile, "I bet everyone will enjoy having you around." Then, as he was pressing Ashley's sandwich, he added with a chuckle, "Estoy seguro de que a Parker también le encantará tenerte cerca." 

*Look it up in Google Translate. It's in Spanish. You won't be disappointed, I promise ;)* 

Since one of Ashley's memory quirks was understanding pretty much every language she had heard before, she instantly picked up on what he said and bristled. She was right about to question what his phrase meant, but Bethany started speaking first. 

"¿Quién es Parker?" She asked, slightly demanding. Despite her short time of knowing the little cinnamon roll, she was already growing protective. Perhaps it was the warrior in her. 

"Uh..." Delmar stuttered, then tried to change the subject, "so you speak Spanish?" "Answer my question, mister," Bethany growled, leaning over the counter and jabbing a finger in his description. 

"He's just a little boy," Delmar improvised, "he loves having friends to hang out with." 

"We'll see about that," Bethany grumbled, sliding the according money to Delmar. 

"Two sandwiches," he declared, handing over Ashley and Bethany's meal, "a five and a three." "Thanks." Bethany grabbed hers and immediately took a bite out of it. When Ashley glanced at her in shock, she just shrugged and replied in a muffled voice, "What? They're good sandwiches!" Ashley curiously peeled back the wrapper on her sandwich and took a bite of it. The second the little piece of heaven hit her taste buds, she instantly knew that this is what food was supposed to be. Warm, comforting, and loaded with numerous spices and ingredients that made it a meal. 

"Dang right they are," Ashley mumbled, slightly incoherently. Then, upon the realization that they were still standing in front of Delmar, they shared an embarrassed glance and scurried out of the deli. 

"You ready to head back to the apartment?" Bethany asked as they made it into the car, "We've got to get your things into your room and go over plans for schooling." 

"My room?" Ashley quietly echoed, grinning like an idiot. It still hadn't really settled in that she was actually going to live with such an awesome woman. Now that she was looking back, her luck really didn't seem all that bad. Maybe this was all for the better? Maybe Bethany would treat her better than she was treated in her past life? 

"Ash?" The brunette repeated after the teenager didn't answer. 

"Oh, yeah!" A flustered Ashley replied. 

After finishing her food, Bethany threw the car into drive and made her way down the street-lamp-lit streets of Queens. 

"I still can't believe how beautiful a city can be," Ashley marveled, taking in the sights of the towering buildings and beautiful vegetation. 

"Wait 'till you get to see nature," Bethany laughed at Ashley's starstruck expression. 

"I don't know," the teenager mumbled, partially to herself, "Queens just seems so perfect. I could really see this as being a home." 

"Now hold on," Bethany interjected, "you haven't even been to any other cities besides New York. Trust me, there's so much more than just Queens." 

"You talk like you've lived all around the world," Ashley gently pointed out. 

"Maybe I have," Bethany admitted, "My life hasn't exactly been the definition of simple." 

With that, a comfortable silence fell between the two as Bethany focused on her driving and Ashley continued to take in all the sights of the city. In seemingly no time, they had made it back to the apartment complex and into their residence. 

"There are lots of schools around here," Bethany began explaining as she plopped down on a couch, pulled out her phone, and beckoned Ashley to join her. "Why don't you take a look and see what interests you?" 

Ashley drew her phone out of pocket and started searching for all the nearby schools for teenagers her age. Everything seemed bland so far and nothing really stood out to her. They were all just simple and designed for your everyday kid, and occasionally, a drop-out, 

That was, until she finally came across it. 

The second she saw the school, she knew it was the one for her. 

Midtown School of Science and Technology. 

When her mind pulled that little stunt on her with Tony Stark's arc reactor, it only took her a brief moment to realize how intrigued she actually was in the subject. Building awesome technology that could be used to save the world or destroy it? I mean seriously, what could be more exciting? Maybe one day she might be up there with the billionaire himself, inventing things that weren't even imagined as possible. 

"I think I've found the one," Ashley declared, showing her phone screen to the brunette. 

"Midtown?" Bethany looked at her in shock, "you wanna go to smart-kid school?" 

"What?" Ashley asked, faking offense, "Are you saying I'm not smart?" 

"No," Bethany laughed, "I just didn't really take you for a nerd." 

"Hey!" Ashley exclaimed, "I'm sure the whole school is more than just a bunch of nerds." 

"Mhm," the brunette teased, going back to whatever she was looking at, "I'm sure it is." 

All the teenager could do was roll her eyes, but she eventually changed the subject. "So when do I start?" 

"School just started a couple of days ago, so I'll probably register you tonight and you can go in a day or two. For now, I think it would be best for you to get a feel for the town and modeling." 

"How am I going to get in, anyway? It isn't like I have any education records," Ashley questioned as she stood up from the couch, beginning to make her way to her bathroom. 

Her bathroom. 

"You underestimate both my connections and that little trip in your memory that gives you unlimited knowledge," Bethany replied with a laugh, making it difficult to tell if she was being sarcastic or not about the second part. 

"I still don't understand how that works." The teenager made it to the room and turned back, waiting to see if the brunette had any last words before the girl disappeared. 

"I don't either, kid. Now get some rest, tomorrow is gonna be one h*ll of a day for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon my French ;) Anyways, YES, I do WANT YOU GUYS TO LISTEN TO THIS. 
> 
> I see you all slinking towards the exit button... GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE WORMIES >:) 
> 
> Okay, now that I have everyone's attention... This book very loosely follows the Marvel timeline! CA: TWS, Age of Ultron, CA: CW... yeah, none of that has happened yet.
> 
> Despite the fact that Homecoming is literally about to happen, none of that is even close. Spidey still doesn't have Tony's suit yet. I'll explain more in further chapters :3. 
> 
> That's not the main thing I forcing you guys to read, though. I wanted to see your opinion on two things. 
> 
> 1) Is Romanogers okay? I might go with it even if some of y'all say no just because I'm a hardcore shipper, but if enough of you guys start screaming and threatening I'll consider backing out of it. I just think that the ship might be able to add to the plotline that I was planning on following. 
> 
> 2) Do you guys want a Homecoming dance? Or shall I make Ashley miss it because of some danger and action going on? 
> 
> Also, I wanted to apologize for how fast this book is moving along. I just have a lot to cover in 30 chapters or so and I'm already falling behind on where I need to be in the plot. Anyways, have a wonderful day everyone! 
> 
> AND IF YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS, GOD BLESS YOU! HONOR ON YOU AND YOUR COW!


	5. Starting Her Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, it has been a little while since I've updated, but I promise, I haven't given up on this book. 
> 
> Although I will admit, between a pure Marvel fanfic idea that has been buzzing around in my head and One Legacy: Two Orders, I haven't exactly been the most focused. 
> 
> Anyways, it's time for her first day of school. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"Look up, to the left... shift your weight to your right leg. But wait! You still need to look at the camera. Ah... that's a good girl. Perfect! Just stand still for a few moments, just like that." 

Despite how fun her first day of modeling had been, it was extremely exhausting. Ashley wanted so badly to replace her cheery smile with a scowl of annoyance, but she knew that she couldn't do that. Bethany was depending on her to do great, and that was exactly what the icy-haired girl planned on doing. 

When the photographer finally gave her the signal to relax from her pose, Ashley immediately checked a nearby clock. The teenager sighed in relief as she realized that the end of her shift was coming near. Soon, Bethany would be there to pick her up and grab a couple of things for her school tomorrow. Right now, supposedly the woman was taking care of some matters involving the teenager's adoption. 

"Ms. Tanner! Ms. Tanner, back to work!" An exasperated photographer called out. Ashley gave him a sheepish smile and returned her focus back to the stack of clothes in front of her. She quickly grabbed them and rushed off to the changing room, slipping off the skirt and plain blouse she had been showcasing and replacing it with high-waisted shorts and strapless shirt. 

Ashley enjoyed wearing skinny jeans or slacks, but couldn't really because of the insufferable heat of summer. Supposedly temperatures were going to drop within the next couple of months, so that definitely gave her something to look forward to. 

"Ms. Tanner, you're putting on shorts and a shirt, not a scuba suit. I believe you should be done by now." 

Ashley shook herself back to focus and exited the changing station, sending the photographer an apologetic smile before making her way towards the next set she was shooting on. Drake, the photographer, had started out being nice in the early day, but his patience began to wear off as the long hours droned on as well. Perhaps he wasn't as much disgruntled with Ashley, but just the taxing day of work he had put in. Of course, Ashley couldn't really say much herself, since she was beginning to act quite the same. 

The teenager got in a random pose where she wasn't really looking at the camera, but more so seemed like she was greatly intrigued by a speck of dust on the turquoise tile in front of her. It seemed weird as heck doing it, but apparently it looked really cool from an onlooker's point of view. She still couldn't understand the whole modeling business. Was it really necessary for the clothes to be displayed on actual people? Or could it be done just as adequately with a mannequin? 

"Last one..." Drake mumbled, then set down his camera and let out a breath of relief. "Well done, Ms. Tanner. You're free to do whatever now." 

"Thanks, but you know you can call me Ashley," the teenager insisted, relaxing from the stance she was in prior. Speaking of names though, would she now be Ashley Tanner or Ashley Everglade? She slightly hoped it was the former, since her name was one of the few things she had left of her past. However, if Bethany really wanted Ashley to share her last name, protesting would be the last idea she'd resort to. 

The icy-haired girl changed back into her normal clothing, then checked her phone for any texts from Bethany. 

Bethany:  
I'll be there in two minutes. How did everything go? 

Ashley:  
It went great! Tiring... but great. 

Bethany:  
You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to. 

Ashley:  
No, trust me. I want to do this. Both for you and myself. 

Bethany:  
Thanks, kid. I'm just arriving. Meet me outside? 

Ashley:  
One step ahead of ya. 

Ashley gave a small laugh as Bethany looked up from the car A.I. that she was verbally sending messages through and saw the girl leaning up against the door of the building. With a little skip, the teenager made her way over to the car and hopped into the passenger's seat. "So, I'm assuming everything went great with my adoption stuff? You seem in a chipper mood." 

"What?" Bethany asked with a smile, "Are you saying I'm usually grouchy?" 

"Oh I don't know if I would use the word grouchy~," the teenager sang sarcastically as she buckled her seatbelt. 

"You did not just go there," the woman deadpanned, turning to her right to stare down the teenager. All Ashley did was give her a little wink and side smirk. 

"I think I just did." 

"That's a shame then," Bethany sighed as she backed the Lexus out of the parking spot, "because I was going to stop by an ice cream shop as a congratulation prize for making it through your first day~" 

Ashley's eyes widened and she gripped the door handle to the point where her knuckles turned white. Then, with the stutter of the century, she said, "Bla... Black Widow ice... ice cream?" 

"Such a shame," the brunette echoed, shaking her head. 

After an uncomfortable moment's silence, Ashley finally burst out, "There's no way I could take that back, right?" 

Bethany kept a grim look on her face as she continued driving, causing the icy-haired girl to slink down into her seat in sorrow. Perhaps next time she would be more careful with what she said to her new... 'adopted' mother. 

"Just kidding," Bethany chuckled, finally cracking a grin and compromising the hard face she had faked, "I'm cooler than that. I ain't no strict guardian." 

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the vehicle stop in front of the all-too-familiar ice cream shop, then chuckled at the horrible grammar she had just practiced. "Thanks, Beth." 

"Not a problem," the woman replied as she stepped out of the car and locked it, then added, "plus, we've got some things to discuss about tomorrow." 

"So we did get the go-ahead on me going to school at Midtown?" Ashley asked as she opened the door to the shop, politely allowing her elder to walk in before her. 

"As if we wouldn't," Bethany laughed, then sauntered up to the cashier and took a look at the menu. Her eyes fell upon the specials part of the menu, which was further categorized into a section titled "The Avengers". 

"What are you going to get?" Ashley questioned, to which she continued with, "I'm going to get the Black Widow again. It was amazing." 

Bethany gave an inward chuckle at the teenager's fascination with the red-headed superhero. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to try the Captain America. I hear they make quite the team." "

Yeah," Ashley mumbled. She got the usual rush of information that he was beginning to grow accustomed to, but it still didn't feel right. She knew she was missing all of the bits and pieces of the personal facts about the Avengers team that really made them who they were. "So what do you know about Earth's 'mightiest' heroes?" 

"I thought your brain told you everything?" 

"Just curious," Ashley defended, looking at the cashier and gesturing to the two different ice creams that they wanted. 

"In that case, we might want to wait until we sit down," Bethany replied before she quickly whipped her head around and stammered, "I mean, it isn't like I know everything about them. I'm just very observant in my studies whenever I get bored." 

"An advertising manager that researches heroes in her downtime? Never would've seen that coming," Ashley chuckled, graciously smiling at the cashier as he handed them their ice cream and Bethany paid. "You never really struck me as the type of person that would actually be interested in learning about other's lives. You seem pretty content with your own." 

"Never judge a book by its cover," Bethany advised, sitting down at a small bistro table, "you'll never know when you're going to be in for a surprise." 

"Right. That saying is kinda common, right? I have to say, it does sound cool." 

Bethany looked up from her ice cream with a confused expression, but what Ashley was referring to finally dawned on her. "Sometimes I forget that you don't really know things like that. If I were you, I probably would be so messed up. I don't know how you can handle that." 

"I don't know either," Ashley admitted, taking a lick of the red part of her ice cream. Once she finished with her taste, she abruptly turned back to the brunette and added, "but don't change the subject. I'd really like to learn about the Avengers." "Alright then," Bethany laughed, raising up her hands in defeat, "for starters, there are six of them. And then their founder, Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. You know what that is, right?" 

"Yeah," Ashley mumbled, her mind deep in thought about the organization, "I've discovered a thing or two about it through my memory abilities." 

"Good. Anyways, as I was saying, there's six of them. You have the leader, Captain America, who was pulled out of the ice after being frozen for 70 years. Quite the shocker, really, when those people came across the wreckage of the ship that he crashed during World War Two. From what I've heard, he was this really scrawny and sickly kid that got chosen for the super-soldier program. He got injected with this serum and," Bethany paused to use hand motions to exaggerate her words, "poof! He's magically a walking hunk of muscle!" 

"Hunk?" Ashley repeated. 

"Don't ask," Bethany laughed, "anyways. Then you have Iron Man, a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist that built a suit powered by that energy reactor in his chest. Kinda stuck-up and self-centered sometimes, but once you crack his outer shell, I heard he's a real softy." 

"I still don't get how you have learned all this," Ashley marveled as she licked some of the black ice cream, resulting in her tongue darkening considerably from the dye. 

"I don't either, but you really gotta let me finish. Anyways, then you have Thor, some god from another planet that has the ability to summon lightning to himself with the aid of a magical hammer. Supposedly he's the only one that can lift it or something like that. You know what I think?" 

"What?" 

"I think that's all crap. I'm sure there's someone out there who's 'worthy' enough to lift it. Probably the captain himself. If righteousness takes place in the form of a human, that's your guy." 

"Captain America sounds like quite the man," Ashley remarked with a chuckle, "I'm surprised he doesn't have a flock of girls pining after him." 

"Oh he does," Bethany assured, "he's probably just too naive to see it. Anyways, then you have the Hulk. He's a scientist who tried to recreate the super-soldier serum, but ended up failing and creating a raging green beast that comes out when's he's angry. It can be quite the show sometimes, really. It's impressive that he hasn't caused more damage than what he's already created. I think he's really starting to get a hold of himself now. 

"Then you have Hawkeye, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that is better with a bow and arrow than probably anyone with a gun. Moving objects behind him? No problem. Entire aircraft with only two arrows? He could practically do it blindfolded. That guy is like a magician. 

"And, last but not least, you have Black Widow. She's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent too, but nobody really knows where she came from. She's great with a gun, but she's really talented at several different forms of martial arts. You woulda thought that she had been practicing her whole entire life." 

"Maybe she has," Ashley suggested as she took another lick of her ice cream. Now she was nearing the end of the first scoop of frozen dairy and sugar, "if you ask me, I'd say that whoever this Black Widow person is, she really does have a backstory on her. I don't know why or how, I just have this weird feeling that she's different than most agents." 

Bethany went into a bit of an awkward silence as she thought about what Ashley had said. She finally cleared her throat, licked a bit of the ice cream off of the cone, then continued with a smile, "Anyways, so let's talk school." 

"Right..." Ashley ventured off as she searched through the knowledge she had about the topic, "so will I be taking a train...or?" 

"Train?! Absolutely not! I'm driving you to school, silly. It's right on my way to work, too. You never know what might happen with you get mixed into large crowds full of sketchy people..." "Okay," Ashley laughed, "I get it, no train." 

"Anyways, I have your schedule, too. I took the liberty of signing you up for AP classes. You're cool with that, right?" 

The teenager bit off a piece of her cone before replying with, "It's all good with me." 

"I can't remember what order they are, but you've got AP biology, economics, calculus... y'know, fun stuff like that. You really are quite the nerd." 

Ashley rolled her eyes at this statement and took another bite of the black waffle cone. "I bet you did just the same in high school." 

"So what are your plans for college?" 

"Nuh-uh uh," Ashely scolded, "no dodging the question. Which I mean, I feel like if you're dodging it you're answering it anyway..." 

"Fine," Bethany relented, raising her hands up in defeat, "you've got me. I had honors in school, too. I guess you take after me, kid." 

The teenager giggled with a small little shake of her head. It just felt like the two had practically been made for each other. Their personalities just fit together like a two-piece puzzle. Perhaps the universe knew what it was doing when it caused their paths to  
"Alright, let's go ahead and get a little bit of supplies shopping finished before our big day tomorrow. Excited?" 

"You bet." 

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"Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you? I mean, you might get lost on your way to the principal's office..." 

"I'm fine, Mom," Ashley joked, but once she realized what she had just said her lips pressed into a thin line and she grew slightly pale. "Uh, bye Beth." "By Ash! See you at 3:00? Sandwich at Delmar's?" 

"Sounds great," the not-so-icy-haired girl replied quickly. When Ashley had expressed her discomfort at going to school and looking wildly different than everyone else, a compromise had been made between the two of them to cover her markings with makeup and put on a wig. Bethany hadn't wanted the girl to change her appearance completely because she didn't want her to lose a part of herself, but the brunette was fine with a little bit of a disguise so that way she wouldn't feel embarrassed at school. 

The teenager ran a nervous hand through the hair of the wig, chestnut-brown that faded into a honey-blonde, then jogged into the school and towards the area she assumed was the principal's office. She had studied a map of the school the night before, but the little voice in the back of her head certainly helped assure that she wouldn't get lost in the winding halls. 

"Hello?" Ashley called out as she knocked on the door that was labeled with the principal's last name. 

"Come in," a monotonous voice replied, to which Ashley complied. 

"You must be Ashley Tanner. I've heard a lot about you over the past couple of days," a man exclaimed, holding out his hand to which Ashley looked at in confusion. 

"You've heard a lot about me?" Ashley asked cautiously, hoping inwardly that everything that had been said about her was positive. 

"Oh," he chuckled, still awkwardly keeping his hand extended, "yeah, I'm Mr. Morita, the principal here. Your guardian, Ms. Everglade, along with some other very respected peers that I am familiar with couldn't stop going on and on about how brilliant you were. There were even rumors about you knowing everything about Stark's little suits as well." 

The teenager was quite taken aback by his rambling, but quickly composed herself and met his handshake. "Right... yeah right... how smart I am. Yeah, lots of people know about that, huh?" She was afraid that the principal was going to see right through her awful impromptu lying skills, but he didn't even seem fazed. In fact, he seemed even more delighted. 

"Midtown is very thrilled that someone of your caliber has decided to join us. Now please, allow me to introduce you to your escort for today. You know, so that way you make yourself at home here at our Midtown family. You just so happen to have the same schedule as Mr. Parker here," the principal explained, gesturing towards someone quietly sitting in a chair that Ashley hadn't noticed yet. "Parker?" She echoed to herself, keeping her voice so low that it was unlikely that anyone else heard it, "That's funny, Mr. Delmar said something about a Parker." 

"Peter Parker," the boy said abruptly, standing up from his chair and also offering his hand to Ashley. "Ashley Tanner, but you already know that. So let me guess, you're the head of the grade or something?" 

Peter gestured for her to follow him out of the principal's office before they continued their conversation. Once they were in the halls and headed towards what Ashley assumed was the lockers, he finally answered. "Socially? No. Academically? Maybe, I'm not sure." 

"Humble," Ashley chuckled, "I just hope everyone is like that. So what's first? Gym, biology, psychology..." 

"Calculus," Peter interjected, "we have calculus first. Don't worry though, it's an easy class and the teacher's really nice." "

I wasn't going to in the first place." 

"So you're smart, right? That's what Mr. Morita was saying. Where'd you move from?" 

Ashley furiously thought back to what she and Bethany had gone over the night before. What was her alibi? Her excuse for the fact that she didn't even remember her home, schooling, or relatives? "I... I moved from a private school in Los Angelo." 

"Los Angeles?" 

"Oh, yeah," Ashley chuckled nervously, kicking herself for messing up something as simple as a city name. "Sorry, there's an inside joke in my family about that. Something about my aunt never pronouncing it right." 

Good going. That might be the first time you haven't majorly screwed something over. 

Ashley rolled her eyes before continuing to talk to Peter. "My locker number is 623. Any clue where that is?" 

"Yeah," Peter mumbled as he fumbled with a lock from one of the lockers they had just walked up to. "It's about 10 rows down..." 

He stopped to think, then pointed to his right. "That way." 

"Thanks," Ashley replied, making her way down towards her locker. There wasn't anything in it yet, save for a couple of shelves for organization, but that would quickly change. 

She heard that between her paperwork, folders, and other miscellaneous objects that it would soon be crammed to no end. Once she was satisfied that she only had what she needed, she shut the locker and made her way back to Peter. He quickly shoved some strange object into one of the compartments of his locker, grabbed a folder full of papers, then slammed his locker shut and spun around. 

"Ready to go?" He stammered, confusing Ashley with what she assumed was nervousness. After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, she shoved her thoughts away and cheerfully answered. 

“If I wasn't, I'd still be back in bed. Which honestly, doesn't sound like a very terrible fate." 

"And I was beginning to think that you were some crazy straight-A student that loved school." "Hey!" Ashley exclaimed, moving to slug him in the arm but stopping mid-swing. She had just met him, so perhaps that maneuver wouldn't really be appropriate. She definitely didn't want to already ruin her minimal reputation by gaining the name of the girl who randomly punched guys, even if it was as a joke. "I"m not saying I don't like school, I just like sleeping a lot better." 

"That makes two of us, then," Peter agreed, then abruptly turned into a room that's door had been propped open, "welcome to 9th grade, A.P. calculus." 

Ashley nervously gave a little wave to all the kids that were already in their seats. Instead of getting the friendly gesture back, she was answered with rows of eyes studying her intensely. "Uh, hi?" "Hi!" A girl that was sitting in the front row responded with a smile, "You're Ashley Tanner, right?" "Yeah?" Ashley moved forward and took a seat by the girl. 

"I'm Liz," she explained, "Welcome to Midtown! And... oh my!" 

"What is it?" Ashley questioned as she watched Liz's jaw drop. "Are those your natural eyes?" 

"I mean, I guess so. I'm not really sure what it means to have unnatural eyes..." 

"So no colored contacts?" Liz asked in bewilderment. 

"Nope, just my eye color." 

"That's incredible!" Liz complimented, "I've never seen anyone's eyes so bright before. That's a good thing, though. Anyways, as I was saying, welcome to our school! Mr. Monteri told me a little about you, too. I heard that you're a real whiz." 

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Ashley chuckled, turning her attention away from Liz and towards the teacher that was beginning to stand up and make her way over to the blackboard. However, even though her concentration was on the teacher, she had a little nagging feeling that was warning her of all of the gazes that were fixated on her. She had no clue why people would still be looking at her, given that she wasn't a museum artifact or model, but she forced herself to shrug it off and focus on what the teacher was beginning to say. 

"Alright class, I'm going to give Ms. Tanner a little catch-up on the first days of schools she missed. So, to start off, would anyone like to provide the three branches of calculus?" A little shockwave of pain rippled across Ashley's head, but she forced herself to straighten out and fight through the hurt. She shot her hand up almost immediately and answered the question when the teacher acknowledged her. "Differential, integral, and multivariable." 

The teacher stood there for a second, looking at her with a blank expression, but quickly put on a smile and replied, "Correct. Now would anyone like to explain what these are?" 

Once again, Ashley's hand was the first to rise. A couple of glances of shock were thrown her way at her readiness for the questions, but in the end, nobody bothered enough to ask further. When none of the other classmates raised their hands, save for Peter, the teacher gave a sigh and redirected her attention to Ashley. 

"Differential and integral are mostly the two main categories of calculus, but they're also quite opposite. Differential studies the rates at which the given quantities change, whereas integral describes displacement, volume, area, and other ideas that form by combining infinitesimal data. And then of course, multivariable, or as others say multivariate, is the integration and differentiation of outcomes involving multiple variables instead of just one," Ashley stated matter-of-factly, relying solely on the knowledge that had been so abruptly shoved into her head. 

A long silence ensued with the teacher awkwardly smiling at Ashley, trying to comprehend how in the world Ashley had just given her that lengthy definition without even having cracked a book yet, let alone sit through one of her past lectures from the days of school she had been absent from. She finally mumbled a, "Great, just great. Um, let's carry on with today's lesson then I suppose." 

Ashley could've sworn that she heard a few students whisper things amongst themselves similar to "walking dictionary", but she just shrugged it off. It wasn't her fault that everyone else was dumb, right? 

And so it went like that for the remainder of the first period, Ashley being one of the few to automatically understand what the teacher was discussing. The others, of course, being Peter, Liz, and a couple of the quiet kids in the back who couldn't be bothered to speak up. 

"That's all for today, class. Don't forget, pages 23 through 26 are due on Tuesday, and the printed packet is due on Friday." 

That cued a whole herd of impatient teenagers to lunge out of their chairs, vying to be the first person out of the doors. All of the hustle and commotion slightly shocked Ashley, but she eventually rose out of her chair and followed behind the crazed mob. 

"Animals, am I right?" A female voice chuckled from behind her. She spun around to see who it was, sighing in relief as she realized it was Liz. 

"You could say that again," Ashley agreed, making her way towards the crowded door beside the girl. 

"So, you wanna walk down to the lockers with me and my friends? We could really use another girl like you. Smart, pretty, seemingly nice... you fit the bill perfectly." 

"Pretty? I don't know if I would go that far..." 

"Humble, too. Excellent!" Liz happily chimed. 

Ashley was about to take the girl up on her offer, but suddenly looked back and noticed Peter, who was trailing behind them and fiddling with something in his book bag. "Thank you for your offer, but Peter is kinda my guide or whatever for the day. I'll catch you at lunch, though?" 

"Sound great!" Liz exclaimed, turning around and walking backward as she added with a wink, "two tables down from the entrance, on the right. You won't miss us." 

Ashley nodded and flashes the girl a smile, then paused and let Peter catch up to her. 

"So Liz huh? You seemed to have settled nicely into the popular group." 

"Popular group?" Ashley questioned, earning her a scoff from Peter. 

"Have you ever gone to school before? You've got to be joking." 

"I..." Ashley frantically tried to come up with an excuse for her lack of experience with the hierarchy of schools. "I... um... I guess everyone was kind of regarded the same at my old school?" 

Peter gave her an unimpressed glance, but settled with saying, "Alrighty then." 

"So next class is...?" 

"Human geography. Teacher's kind of a grouch sometimes, but he's alright if you get on his good side." 

"Advice noted," Ashley grunted as she fell out of stride with Peter and headed off towards her locker. She put everything she had used solely for calculus, including her exciting homework, then began grabbing her notebook that would be used for her next class. 

"You're the new chick, right?"  
Ashley looked up, not surprised to find a boy that seemed about her age leaned up against a locker with his arms crossed. She had sensed him long before she caught a glimpse, but she had just shoved it off as him being there to get his books. Well, apparently, she was quite wrong. 

"No," Ashley boldly countered, meeting him with a smirk. "I'm new, but I sure as heck ain't some chick. Especially not coming from someone pathetic like..." she paused to give him a long glance up and down, "you." 

"Feisty," he noted with a chuckle, "not like most girls. I like you." 

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not another toy your 'mommy' can buy for you. Maybe check the isle in Walmart that has what you need?" She sized him up once before firing, "Like the one that has little action figures for toddlers?" 

By now, the majority of the passing students had stopped to watch the spectacle. The kids that had been there at her first insult had already started laughing their butts off, but when she let that last line rip, a chorus of "oooohs" and "burn!" echoed throughout the halls. The boy that had just tried to pick her up blushed a furious red, sending several dagger-like glares before eventually turning into the wall to cloak his embarrassment. 

"Name's Ashley," she snickered, shutting her locker and giving him a pat on the shoulder as she brushed past. 

"Flash," he called out after her, turning around and braving the crowd. 

"Oh, we're using made-up names? Well, then I suppose that makes me a b*tch you can't touch." 

The students roared with laughter once more, getting to the point where some teachers eventually had to break them up and send them on their way. Ashley triumphantly marched her way towards her next class with Flash standing as still as a statue behind her, his jaw practically touching the floor. However, right before she was out of earshot, she could hear the boy mumble, "Oh we'll see about that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That dang Flash, am I right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back at it with another chapter! 
> 
> It's very funny watching everyone in the comments scheme about what's going to happen and if Flash is actually Lux. 
> 
> Guess we'll just have to find out, then!

"I can't believe you just did that," Peter panted incredulously after catching up to Ashley, "I can't believe you just dd that." 

"Yeah, I think I caught on the first 12 times you said it," Ashley deadpanned, shifting her folders from one arm to another. 

"Sorry, I just..." 

"Can't believe I just did that?" 

"I guess so," Peter grinned sheepishly, then went on to continue rambling in amazement, "I mean, do you even know who he is?" 

"A guy who tried to pick up girls by sweet-talking them, since talking is probably the only thing he's actually capable of?" Ashley guessed. 

"See?! Just like that! You've barely even met Flash but you can just roast the guy like a bag of marshmallows!" "I suppose you better keep away from my bad side then, or you'll end up just like him," Ashly advised before ducking into geography class. 

"Wait!" Peter exclaimed, following behind her and to his seat, "so I am on your good side?" Ashley only replied with a shrug and smirk. 

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"So, how was your first your first memorable day of school?" Bethany asked as Ashley slid into the passenger's seat. The teenager felt a bit of a nosy vibe, but she didn't really mind. 

"Interesting, that's for sure. I think this one guy tried to flirt with me, but I killed him. Verbally, of course. And honestly, in my opinion, that guy deserved it." 

"That's my Ash," Bethany beamed, giving her an approving pat on the shoulder, "I'm starting to think that we'll get along brilliantly." 

Ashley smiled outwardly, but she couldn't help but wonder why Bethany had taken her in the first place. 

The woman hadn't exactly expressed any interest in being seen as a mother or parental figure. 

She appeared to be plenty content as a bachelorette. 

"Anyways, as I promised, we'll drop by Delmar's and pick up a sandwich. Then," Bethany paused and gave her a side smirk as she drove down the crowded roads, "I think it's about time we put those training shoes to good use." 

"About the martial arts," Ashley began, several gears spinning in her head, "I wonder if it'll be like everything else. Like if I'll automatically know everything about it." 

"Knowing the moves is one thing," Bethany stated, "actually performing them is the very opposite. You'll need practice and reps if you ever want to even know a few self-defense moves." "Fair enough," Ashley agreed, "it was just a thought." 

After a few moments of silence, which Ashley assumed was Bethany pondering, the brunette opened up again, "Although I will admit, having a head start like that will prove useful. Let's just hope your little theory is right." 

"It hasn't proven me wrong yet," Ashley sighed, recalling all of the painful moments during school when her mind would come up with information to shove into her knowledge. She was very grateful for this, since it kind of helped the fact that she had no recollection of anything otherwise, but it was a constant struggle dealing with it. 

"So other than that, what else about your day?" 

"Well," Ashley let out a chuckle, "it was long, that's for sure. I think this one group of girls kind of accepted me though. It's nice... I was slightly worried that I wouldn't be able to fit in. I really think using the foundation and wig to cover up my differences helped." 

"You know how I feel about that, Ash," Bethany reminded her, "I really don't thi

nk you should have to be concerned about changing your appearance to make others like you." "You remember how everyone was staring at me when I first met you!" Ashley cried out, "I mean, for gosh sakes, I might've been an alien! You don't understand what it's like!" 

"Believe me," Bethany assured her in attempts to calm the distressed teenager down, "I do." 

"What do you mean?" Ashley groaned, "You are literally the exact definition of a normal person, and I mean that with no offense. You've got brown hair and eyes that actually match your complexion!" The brunette sighed in defeat. There was simply no way if convincing her otherwise, that is unless she released her whole entire past of secrets. For now, she had to conceal them. She wasn't sure what Ashley would think of her if she knew everything. 

"I'm sorry, Beth," Ashley whispered, barely audible over noise being emitted from the moving tires, "I appreciate your thoughts, but you can't change my mind." 

"I was never trying to," Bethany pointed out, "I'm just helping you see that sometimes it's best to let the world see you for who you really are." 

Ashley ended the conversation with a small nod, taking into consideration the last phrase that Bethany had said. She believed that the woman knew what she was talking about, it was just hard for Ashley to figure out how. How could she understand? How could she feel what it was like to be so different, yet not even remember why you were like that? 

"In other notes, were there any cute kids?" Bethany asked with a suggestive smirk and eyebrow raise. 

"Oh gosh Beth," Ashley groaned, shoving her face into her hands, "you know I wouldn't even be looking for one." 

"You never know when you'll stumble across a guy or girl that looks pretty fine~" 

"Bethany!" Ashley exclaimed in embarrassment, her face growing redder by the second. 

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that there is someone, but you just won't admit it." 

"I thought your job was to make sure I didn't date people," Ashley grunted. 

"No, my job is to beat up the stupid little punks that think they can mess with you. I never have issues with true gentlemen or ladies," Bethany argued with a grin. 

"Just like you and your little Captain America?" 

"Excuse me?!" Bethany sputtered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Why would you ever think that?" "Oh, I dunno. Maybe the same reason that you bought the Captain America ice cream and savored it as you described him to me so dreamily when we were in the parlor?" 

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Bethany stated boldly, "I was only explaining because you asked me to. And besides, I just got that because the flavors in the ice cream were the only combination that didn't sound repulsive. I mean, what was Iron Man's combination?" 

"Banana and strawberry...?" 

"See? Disgusting!" Bethany declared. 

"Beth, I literally think that's the most common fruit combination to ever exist. Isn't that literally a smoothie flavor everyone gets?" Ashley asked in confusion. 

"Not if you don't like banana," the brunette defended. 

"You know what I'm really having a hard time understanding? How did this conversation go from cute kids to hating bananas?" Ashley deadpanned, though she was having a hard time concealing the laughter that was bubbling up inside of her. 

However, Bethany didn't exactly share the same incentive and began to crack up. 

"You know what? Some questions are just better left unanswered." 

~ 

"Rule number one, never..." 

Ashley responded by swiveling her head around, grabbing the fist that was flying at her, then twisting it to a point that rendered it defenseless. She was about to use this leverage in an attempt to flip over Bethany but was cut short as the brunette used her free hand to grab Ashley's wrist. She pried her fingers into sensitive areas of the teenager's arm, forcing her to let go of her grip on Bethany's fist, then used her hold on the girl's arm to spin her around and into her. Once Ashley's back was pressed into the woman, Bethany wrapped her arm around the girl's neck in a headlock. 

"Never take your eyes off the target... yeah yeah yeah," Ashley gasped, slamming her palm into Bethany's arm as a sign of defeat. 

“You know what you're supposed to do, so why not do it?" Bethany questioned as she let go of Ashley. The teenager took a few steps away, turned back around, then got into a fighting stance. 

"It just slips the mind sometimes," Ashley sighed. 

Bethany did a quick one-over on Ashley's form. Whatever information she had gotten from her mind, it had proved to be true. Everything was perfect except... 

"Put a little bit more weight on your right foot. Balance is key, and with that stance, you might as well have been purposefully falling off a gymnastics beam." 

Ashley obediently did as she was told, immediately noticing the difference as her weight was more equally distributed. 

"Good, now try again. This time, slower, and focus. You're just starting out, so don't expect to go turbo on me." 

The teenager nodded, then threw a punch at Bethany's left shoulder. She easily deflected it, but that was beside the point. Ashley used her strike as a distraction, trying to create a small window of time to open where she could swipe her foot around the woman's legs without her noticing. However, right before she was about to make contact, Bethany kicked out her own leg and hooked her foot around Ashley's thigh. Then, in one swift move, the brunette raised her extended leg up and forced Ashley to roughly slam to the padded ground onto her back. 

"It was a smart idea, but you sold yourself out by watching my legs like a hawk. Being sneaky and trying to fake blows like that requires you to be... well... sneaky." 

"So that's what just happened," Ashley dryly chuckled, pushing herself to her feet with a grunt. They were practicing on a mat that had been laid out in the middle of the apartment's living room, but even with the cushion, Ashley couldn't help but still feel a little achy from the harsh landing. "Again." 

Bethany threw a punch at her side, but Ashley shuffled away and repositioned herself. This time she went for a kick to the torso, despite how weak she was from not really having trained before, but Bethany caught her ankle and threw it to the ground. In the time that it took Ashley to readjust, the brunette already had a fist flying towards her face. Ashley ducked underneath, then reached up and grabbed it before it could fully retract to Bethany's body. She used this advantage to pull the woman closer to her so she could hopefully land a punch to her stomach. Bethany blocked the punch with ease, then took the opportunity to crash her side into Ashley and throw her off-balance. The teenager attempted to regain her center, but she was too late. Bethany had already thrown the final punch and landed it neatly on her shoulder, knocking the girl clean off her feet. 

Ashley hissed in pain as she tried to rise up, but a wave of pain washed over her and she decided it would be better to just stay down. Yeah, that was a much better choice. 

"Let's try something else," Bethany suggested, offering a helping hand to pull her up. "Instead of just fighting, I'll go through some examples of what you can do in different situations." 

"Alright, hit me up with some pointers," Ashley declared, resuming her battle stance. 

"Punch," Bethany instructed. Ashley raised an eyebrow, but eventually did what she said and thrust her fist towards the woman's nose. Bethany promptly caught her wrist, then paused. "Alright, now I want you to twist your arm away and grab a hold of my wrist." 

The teenager did as she was told, letting out a small smile as it worked. 

"Now you're going to spin my arm like this," she faked the movement on her own to show Ashley what she was supposed to do. The girl nodded, then twisted the arm accordingly. Bethany was forced to fall onto the ground with a quiet thump. "Don't do this right now, obviously, but this would be your chance to kick me clean in the face and knock me out." 

"Cool!" Ashley exclaimed, but she was cut short as Bethany snaked her arm out and grabbed a hold of the girl's ankle, dragging her to the ground as well. 

"Always be ready," Bethany advised, standing up and dusting herself off, "or that could happen." 

"Not if you're knocked out," Ashley argued while pushing herself back up. 

"Now if I'm going to swing my arm at you, what would be your first defense tactic?" Bethany asked, throwing her fist before Ashley could answer her question. Her first instinct was to duck, but she was slightly too late and she could feel Bethany's knuckles graze against the top of her head. However, before she could continue on normally, she realized that a weight had fallen off of her head. 

In horror, she watched as her wig fell to the ground, her natural white and blue curls replacing it. She gaped at the wig, then turned back to Bethany with the same expression. "You...you... 

"Snatched my weave!" 

Bethany let out a groan and physically facepalmed. "You did not just make a pop culture reference." 

Ashley gave her a smirk and fired back, "Oh yes I did." 

The brunette plopped down and simply said, "You know what? I think we're done for the day." Then, under her breath, she mocked in pure disgust, "snatch my weave". 

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"Hey, Liz!" Ashley called out as she walked down the school's hall, a slight bounce evident in her step. 

"Ash," Liz acknowledged with a smile, although she quickly turned her attention back to what she was working on. There, sprawled out on a cafeteria table, was a large banner of paper that was currently being painted on my numerous people of Liz's group. "Wanna lend us a hand on this? The corners of the poster need a little bit of color, but I can't figure design to use." 

"No problem," Ashley agreed, settling in between her and another girl, grabbing a wide paintbrush and dipping it into a rich color. Within minutes, one of the corners was completely decorated and beautiful. 

"Slow down there Ms. Mona Lisa," Liz chuckled, marveling at Ashley's work. 

"You can't say that," the teenager replied with a shake of her head, "Lisa was just the person who posed. I think you mean Ms. da Vinci." 

"Just another point to prove that I never did well in art," Liz concluded, continuing to draw the outline for the last few letters. 

"So what's this for?" Ashley asked as she shuffled over to the other side of the poster to decorate the edges. "Homecoming," Liz explained, gesturing to the word that was almost spelled out on the banner. At the moment, it read as 'Homeco', being in its early stages of earning the 'm' and 'I'. "You know, football game, big dance..." 

"Yeah," Ashley interjected, "I know a thing or two about it. Are you excited about your first one in high school?" 

"What do you think?" Liz asked, her large beam never leaving her face. 

"I gotcha," Ashley chuckled, then set down her paintbrush on a paper towel and surveyed her work. "I think I'm done here. Mind if I head down to my locker and catch up with Parker?" 

"Not at all," Liz said. "Be my guest. We're just about finished anyway. Thanks for the help!" 

Ashley flashed her a smile in response, then picked her backpack up from the ground and slung it back over her shoulder. Without further ado, she made her way out of the cafeteria and to the locker area, where she would, hopefully, manage to seek out Peter and exchange a hello. 

"Ashley, right?" A familiar voice called out. She stopped and, with a sigh, turned to face Flash. "Or Ash, as your friends call you. Pretty neat nickname if you ask me." 

"How did you know that?" Ashley asked in disbelief, leaning up against a wall with a chuckle as she faced Flash. 

"Well, I mean, a little digging around, and someone will eventually tell you what you need to know." "Stalker!" Ashley exclaimed. 

"No," Flash argued, "I just like to learn about people who I'll be hanging out with." 

"So I'm hanging out with you?" Ashley questioned, "I don't really remember that being in any part of my speech where I declared you couldn't mess with me." 

"I'm not messing with you!" Flash defended, "Seriously, just friends. You're a cool chick, y'know. Smart and all." 

“Well thank you, I'm very flattered," Ashley returned sarcastically. "But if you don't mind me, I was about to meet someone." 

"Parker, right? You were going to talk to that idiot," Flash guessed, his facial features evident with annoyance. 

"Why would you call him that? If I remember correctly, he was the one actually getting the answers right." 

"It's not that," Flash sighed, "it's..." he looked around at all the passing crowds, then decided against whatever he was about to say, "Listen, let's just talk about this after school. Peter isn't who you think he is, at least not to me." 

"If you say so," Ashley returned cautiously. She stood up from leaning against the wall, then continued her walk down to the locker area. 

"Wassup Parker?" Ashley asked, just loud enough so the boy could hear her from the distance between their lockers. She fiddled with the combination, and, to her relief, her locker opened without a hitch. 

"Nothing much," He replied, "Ned and I hung out last night and built this neat model." 

"And I wasn't invited?" Ashley asked in mock offense, raising a hand to her chest. 

"I'm sorry... if I would've know I..." he paused and looked at her, realizing that she didn't actually care, "Nah, you weren't." 

"I suppose there's always a next time," Ashley sighed in defeat. "But I still doubt it beats getting Avengers-themed ice cream with the same lady that's also teaching you martial arts." 

"That's what?!" Peter exclaimed, slamming his locker shut and pivoting towards Ashley's direction. 

"Nothing major much," Ashley explained, "just some self-defense starters. I mean, if you consider roundhouse-kicks and several-step maneuvers self-defense." 

"That's crazy," he declared, "you've gotta teach me one day." 

"Only if I get invited to the model-assembling events," Ashley countered. 

"I doubt you would like them, but you got yourself a deal," Peter smiled. 

Ashley nodded and was about to come back with a witty remark, but the first bell rang out through the halls. Even with all of her experiences from the day before, the teenager still wasn't used to the impossibly loud sound and couldn't help but wince. 

"Time for class," Ashley whispered to herself in both excitement and perpetual fright.

±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-±-± 

All you girls in here, if you're feeling thirsty~ 

Come and take a sip 'cause you know what I'm servin'~ 

Shimmy shimmy yeah shimmy yeah shimmy ya 

Drank 

Swalla-la-la 

Dra... 

Ashley stopped singing as someone quickly snatched her phone away from her and hit the pause button on the song. 

"What the heck?!" Ashley exclaimed in annoyance as she spun around and reached for her phone. She looked up at the face of her enemy, stopping as she realized it was just Peter. 

"What do you think you're doing Parker?" 

"There is no way I'm letting your innocent ears listen to that frightening song," he declared, then held her phone out to her just long enough for it to recognize her face and unlock. 

"Innocent ears? Where did you even get that notion?" Ashley asked incredulously, still slightly angered by the fact that he had the nerve to stop the catchy song she was listening to. 

"By how obvious you make it. You seriously might have the cleanest mind of the whole school," Peter stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then, in a few seconds, he had pulled up a different song and sank to the ground next to her. Ashley was waiting for Bethany, who would be here any minute. According to her short and choppy texts, something had happened at work and she'd be running slightly late. As for Peter, he really didn't have any place to be at the moment. 

"Mind if I listen too? I don't generally like some of these newer songs but this is seriously my jam," Peter asked as he waited to hit the play button on the song. 

Ashley shrugged indifferently, handing Peter her left AirPod. 

Spent 24 hours, I need more hours with you

You spent the weekend getting even, ooh

We spent the late nights making things right between us

But now it's all good, babe

Roll that back wood, babe

And play me close

'Cause girls like you run 'round with guys like me

'Til sun down when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Girls like you love fun and, yeah, me too

What I want when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah

I need a girl like you

I spent last night on the last flight to you (ey ya)

Took a whole day up trying to get way up, ooh

We spent the daylight trying to make things right between us

But now it's all good, babe

Roll that back wood, babe

And play me close, yeah

'Cause girls like you run 'round with guys like me

'Til sun down when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Girls like you love fun and, yeah, me too

What I want when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

I need a girl like you, yeah yeah

I need a girl like you

Maybe it's 6:45

Maybe I'm barely alive

Maybe you've taken my sh*t for the last time, yeah

Maybe I know that I'm drunk

Maybe I know you're the one

Maybe you thinking it's better if you drive

Even though she wasn't sure why, a little smile began to etch its way across her face. The song just gave her a little giddy feeling of excitement with each word. Suddenly, even though this was the first time she had ever listened to the song, she knew she had to sing the words next out loud. She could tell that it was going to be fun. So, exercising her abilities of knowing lyrics because of her memory function, she stood up and began chanting the words out loud while dancing gleefully.

Not too long ago, I was dancing for dollars (Eeoow)

Know it's really real if I let you meet my mama (Eeoow)

You don't want a girl like me, I'm too crazy

But every other girl you meet is fugazy (Okurrrt)

I'm sure them other girls were nice enough

But you need someone to spice it up

So who you gonna call? Cardi, Cardi

Come and rev it up like a Harley, Harley

Why is the best fruit always forbidden? (Huh?)

I'm coming to you now doin' 20 over the limit (Wooh)

The red light, red light stop, stop (Skrrt)

I don't play when it comes to my heart, let's get it though

I don't really want a white horse and a carriage (Carriage)

I'm thinkin' more a white Porsches and carats

I need you right here 'cause every time you're far

I play with this kitty like you play wit' your guitar, ah 

Ashley chuckled at the next line and decided not to say it, sitting back down next to Peter and continuing to listen to the songs, not minding the glances she was getting from everyone else for randomly performing karaoke. 

'Cause girls like you

Run 'round with guys like me

'Til sundown when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah, yeah

Girls like you

Love fun, and yeah, me too

What I want when I come through

I need a girl like you, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I need a girl like you, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I need a girl like you

"Not going to lie, I wasn't expecting you to bust out and know the lyrics like that," Peter laughed as the song faded away. 

"I've heard it a couple of times," Ashley lied. She wasn't really sure she wanted to share her secrets with Peter yet. They were just beginning to form a friendship, and Ashley really didn't want to mess it up by freaking him out with the truth about herself. 

"So how did you end up listening to that other song, anyways?" Peter eventually asked after a minute or so of staring at the commotion of the city. 

"Swalla? Just one of Liz's friends," Ashley answered. 

"Figures," Peter sighs, "it is a pretty popular song." 

(I know the song came out in 2017, just pretend that it came out in 2016 since that's the year right now.) 

"Looks like my ride is here," Ashley said as a familiar Lexus pulled up to the school sidewalk. "Catch ya later, Parker." 

"See ya," he replied, handing her the AirPod and waving her goodbye. 

Ashley smiled, then hopped into the passenger's seat and turned to Bethany. 

"That's the cute boy, isn't it?" 

"Bethany," Ashley groaned. "The day that I like Peter is the day that you start dating Mr. Perfect Captain America. He's just a friend." 

"If you say so," Bethany sang, still not buying it. "Sorry for being late, by the way. I was talking to the VP of Forever 21 and wasn't exactly watching where I was going, so I ended up managing to spill coffee all over myself and hitting my arm after tripping over a block." 

Ashley studied Bethany after she said this, finally noticing the fresh set of clothes and nasty-looking discolor on her arm. 

"Oh, Beth!" She exclaimed, leaning towards her to cradle the arm but stopping herself as she realized that the woman kind of needed it to drive in a straight line, "That looks awful. Are you sure it's just a bruise?" 

"Positive," Bethany assured. "I already put a bit of cream on it to help with any possible inflammation. Trust me, I can handle myself." 

"That's what I'm worried about," Ashley laughed, "I think the title Miss Independent fits you perfectly." 

"That better be a compliment," Bethany said, "besides, isn't it Miss Independence?" 

"Oh no, I meant exactly what I said," Ashley grinned. 

"Lord help me," Bethany exclaimed sarcastically, "this girl is going to be the death of me." 

"Aw," Ashley teased, "I know you love me." 

"Love you? Pfft, more like tolerate." 

"Harsh!" Ashley cried out in mock-hurt. 

"That's what you get for making up lies about me liking Captain America." 

"I never made up lies," Ashley defended confidently, "I only say the truth." 

"Say what you will, kid. As long as it makes you sleep better at night." 

"While you sleep and dream of being in your favorite Avengers arms?" Ashley taunted. 

"Oh, now you've really taken it too far. I'll say it again, I don't like him." 

"'Don't' is a weird way to pronounce 'totally'." 

Bethany hung her head in exhaustion and decided to just give up. There was no way she was going to get it through Ashley's stubborn mind that she seriously didn't even have the slightest bit of a crush on the superhero. 

"So what are we doing now?" Ashley asked as she looked away from the woman and to the passing traffic. 

"I heard from a little birdie that someone has homecoming coming up soon," Bethany sang, taking a turn down the road that didn't lead towards their apartment. 

"Oh no," Ashley gasped, her face paling as she realized Bethany was about to drag her into. "I need to get out of this car."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was wondering, yes. The last line was a Loki reference. I just can't help myself! 🤷♀️ 
> 
> Anyways. 
> 
> Go watch some Clone Wars and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
> 
> Eat praline. 
> 
> Wonder about where in the world I'm taking this story, because I myself have very little clue. 
> 
> And pray that all of the story ideas that I'm trying to suppress in my head don't end up being the bane of my existence.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this chapter was a little slow, but it was an introductory chapter. 
> 
> Trust me, once things get going, they're going to get going. 
> 
> Anyways, 
> 
> eat popcorn, 
> 
> play volleyball,
> 
> drool over pictures and gifs of Chris Evans just because you can,
> 
> and, as a little tip from experience, try not to get a colony of around 90 bats in the walls of your room. 
> 
> It is not fun.


End file.
